REDEMPTION COMPLETED 



JASPER ABRAHAM HUFFMAN 




VJ1A 
..til 







COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




REV. JASPER A. HUFFMAN 



EEDEMPTION COMPLETED 



A TREATISE ON THE WORK OP 
COMPLETE REDEMPTION 



BY 

REV. JASPER ABRAHAM HUFFMAN 

NEW CARLISLE, OHIO 

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY 
REV. A. B. YODER 




J . ) -J -> 






) ' ) 



J -) ) 



) ) ) 



> > , i 



> ) > > 



) > > 



PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR 
BY 

WESTEKN METHODIST BOOK CONCEKN 
CINCINNATI, OHIO 

\ Pi *J 




LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

DEC 26 1903 

Copyright Entry 

&JLL, .Li-- l ^ a 3 

CLASS «~ XXc. No. 

/ copy'b? 

I 



Copyright, 1903, by 
J. A. HUFFMAN 






c ee 
*« • • • 

e • • • • 



.♦ « 



« » • 



« e • * 
B a • e • e e 
« ■ * * * 



* • • * * • 



» » * » 

» » • 

• « » * - 

» * » 



* 



i r • 

* 



* 



* r * 



• » • 

<* 



» 



DEDICATORY 



TO THE MEMORY OF MY DEAR, DEPARTED BROTHER, 

Chatjnoey M. Huffman, whose short life 
but whose deep experience and close walk 
with God has been an inspiration to my 
life ; 

To my Beloved Wife, who has assisted me in 

THIS WORK, AND WHO STANDS BY ME SO FAITH- 
FULLY IN ALL MY MINISTERIAL LABORS; 

TO MY DEAR LITTLE INFANT SON, DAVID PAUL, 

WHOM THE Lord has intrusted to our care, 

AND WHOM WE HAVE CONSECRATED TO HIM, 
THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS TENDERLY AND AFFEC- 
TIONATELY DEDICATED. 



INTRODUCTION. 

THE theme of redemption is the most prominent 
of all themes set forth in the blessed Bible. 
This redemption spoken of includes not only the 
soul, but also the body of man (Eom. viii, 23) and 
the earth (Eph. i, 14). This is set forth in the fol- 
lowing pages, and the different phases of redemption 
clearly shown. 

Many are looking forward with burning anticipa- 
tions to that eventful time when they shall realize 
the fulfillment of the words of our Master. 

We believe that the following treatise on this sub- 
ject will prove a blessing to all who may read, and 
serve as an encouragement, and will stimulate their 
faith to a greater fidelity to the cause of Him who 
loved them with an everlasting love. 

This work has a great advantage, since it begins 
with the first link in the chain of events and goes on 
to the end; and, when history closes, as all will at 
the rapture, this goes beyond and treats of those 
things which should interest all. It carries us on, 
through the "Millennium" and the "Little Season," 

5 



6 Introduction. 

up to the great white throne and into the eternal 
state. 

There is, in treating a theme like this, much room 
for speculation and curiosity. There are many falla- 
cies to be combated. The pride of research is so 
strong and byways are so fascinating that the great 
"Highway" is apt to be deserted. 

Hence a work as this, written with such an out- 
line to follow, is surely a boon to all who anxiously 
inquire the way. 

We trust and sincerely believe that it will exceed 
by far the fondest expectations of its author. 

A. B. Yoder. 



PKEFACE. 

AMONG the many books written, and in the 
. many libraries throughout the land, it is a 
difficult thing to find even a small volume devoted to 
the theme of redemption. They can scarcely be found 
in ministers' studies. 

Why the Father in heaven should lay it upon the 
heart of His humble servant to write a little book 
upon this great theme has been a question in the au- 
thor's mind ever since the work has been begun, to 
which he can assign no reason excepting the same 
cause which prompted Christ, when on earth, in 
searching for material to lay the foundation of the 
Christian Church, to leave the Jewish Sanhedrin un- 
noticed, pass by the doctors of the law, make His way 
to the seashore, and there choose illiterate fishermen, 
with hard, horny hands, accustomed to hard labor, 
bidding them to leave their nets and follow Him, and 
placed them as apostles in the early Church. 

He offers no apology, only that the Lord has laid 
it upon him to write, and he finds it blessed to obey. 

To him the theme of redemption is the theme of 

7 



8 Preface. 

themes, and his life has been made happier, and to 
mean more, since he has learned the truths contained 
in the following pages. 

While he does not pretend to answer every ques- 
tion, nor solve the mysteries of this great plan, he 
believes that he has found the key which unlocks the 
door to the entrance of the subject, which, when 
swung open, will permit the inquirer to behold at 
least a partial view of the great work of completed 
redemption. This key is given in this little volume. 

There are many other phases of the subject upon 
which the author has been tempted to write, in which 
it would be necessary, from the nature of the case, 
to go beyond the solid soil of certainty into the fields 
of speculation. While there might be a certain de- 
gree of inspiration in the treating of these phases, 
there is danger that that which would be speculative 
might detract from the weight of that which is not, 
and for fear of this everything which appears in the 
least speculative has been avoided. Hence it is not 
held that these few pages cover the whole theme, but 
may serve as a mere introduction to the great sub- 
ject. 

Furthermore, the author has found that he has 
been far more able to bring the glorious doctrine of 
entire sanctification within the comprehension of the 



Preface. 9 

people by the method it is herein treated than by any 
other means. 

He wishes to acknowledge his gratefulness to other 
authors from whom he quotes, and who have been of 
valuable assistance to him in the development of 
thought. Among them are Joseph A. Seiss, John 
Fletcher, W. B. Godbey, Jamieson, Fausset, and 
Brown's Commentaries, the works of Josephus and 
others. 

Not a line of the following pages has been written 
without prayer, and this little messenger is sent forth 
with an earnest request of the Father to make it a 
blessing to many inquiring souls. 

Although it is theological, as well as practical and 
experimental, it has not been written for the critics, 
but for those who are anxious to know the great pur- 
pose of the death of Christ and its fulfillment; how- 
ever, it is open for the most rigid scrutiny. 

If it proves a blessing to you, reader, will you not 
speed it on its mission of love, that it may be made a 
blessing to many others ? 

J. A. H. 
New Carlisle, 0., Oct. 25, 1903. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Chapter Page 

I. The Creation and the Fall, 13 

II. Redemption — Introductory, - 26 

III. Redemption of the Earth, 36 

IV. Redemption of the Body, - 48 
V. The Millennium, ------ 59 

VI. Man's Inheritance Restored, - - - 71 

VII. Blessedness of the Eternal World, 78 

VIII. Habitation of the Renewed Earth, - 89 

IX. Redemption of Man — Introductory, - - 102 

X. Redemption of Man — Pardon, - - - 119 

XI. Redemption of Man — Sanctification, - - 129 

XII. Christian Perfection, - 160 

XIII. The Sinless Life, 173 

XIV. The Vision of Mirza, 189 

11 



Redemption Completed. 



CHAPTER I. 

The Creation and the Fall. 

THERE are some things that we know and a 
great many things that we do not know. If in 
one column could be added the things that we know, 
and in another the things that we do not know, the 
latter column would be by far the greater. 

Since ignorance is not decidedly bliss, and inves- 
tigation is not forbidden, there is no reason why 
God's creatures should not seek to know all about 
their Creator and His works possible for them to 
know. 

Would it be unreasonable or unwise for man to 
desire to know the history of his ancestry? Should 
a calamity or curse have come upon them, involving 
the entire human family of every successive genera- 
tion, surely nothing could be of greater interest to 
him. 

Should a plan be arranged by which that calamity 
should be removed, and the curse lifted, he would 
have greatest pleasure in looking into it, not with an 

13 



14 Redemption Completed. 

object to discover the scientific principles of its work- 
ings, but to behold its work. 

This is true, relative to the human family. A 
calamity has come upon them which has involved 
them as a whole. It is only natural that those who 
are under this curse should seek to ascertain knowl- 
edge as to its nature, its extent, and its cause. A 
plan has also been arranged by which it is declared 
that the curse shall be destroyed, and it is right that 
man should look into that plan, to understand, as far 
as possible, its nature, power and extent. There is 
nothing in which humanity should be more intensely 
interested. Every individual should make it the 
highest ambition, the greatest pleasure, and the para- 
mount object of his life to understand something of 
this great plan. 

Those who can content themselves, failing to see 
any particular benefit to be derived from such medi- 
tation and investigation, but who are satisfied to share 
in its results, deserve no severe criticism; but as the 
inspired apostle pronounced the blessing upon those 
who read and hear the words of the prophecy, the 
"Kevelation" (Kev. i, 3), which many treat as a sealed 
book, not to be looked into, but whose title signifies 
a revealing, a bringing to light, even so a blessing 
will be found in looking into God's work and work- 
ings, unnoticed by many. True, there are great mys- 
teries connected with God's work; but these mys- 
teries prove, unmistakably, that a Superior Hand 
hath wrought. 



Redemption Completed. 15 

There are some things that the finite mind of man 
will never be able to understand, problems humanity 
will never be able to solve, questions too profound 
and difficult to be answered by mortals. There are 
many things that God does not intend for man to 
know. Into this field no one can enter. But there 
are many grand things to be revealed to those who, 
by a prayerful study of the Word, will discover them. 

In that spirit of humble and prayerful research 
these investigations have been made, and the follow- 
ing conclusions have been arrived at, and in the 
same spirit they are presented to the reader. 

He who inhabiteth eternity, even God, the "Great 
I Am;" He is Lord of all. He is the only supreme 
self -existence. 

Angels are created intelligencies ; a higher order 
of God's creation than man. As to their age we 
know nothing, but long before the creation of man 
they existed. For untold ages they have gone forth 
from the throne of God. There are doubtless many 
others who believe, as did the poet who wrote the 
song, "I want to be an angel/' that angels are spirits 
of the redeemed; but angels were created angels, and 
were never men, and men will never become angels. 

It is clearly set forth in the Word that there are 
different grades or orders in the celestial hierarchy; 
rank above rank — angels, archangels, cherubim, 
seraphim, etc. Angels, of course, as all of God's 
creatures, have doubtless had their probation, or 
could not possibly have fallen. Doubtless the period 



16 Redemption Completed. 

of angelic probation in the heavenly world has 
ceased, as man's will at the end of time, and there is 
no more danger of an apostasy in heaven. 

Satan, who, in his unfallen state, was one of the 
brightest of all the heavenly host, whose archangelic 
name appears to have been Lucifer, rebelled against 
God (Isa. xiv, 12), drawing one-third part of the 
stars, i. e., angels, with him (Eev. xii, 4). 

Unfortunately, Lucifer and all those angels who 
followed him in his fatal apostasy forfeited their pro- 
bation, and were cast out of heaven. This is the first 
sin of which we have any record. 

Satan now becomes the bitter enemy and hater of 
God ; and all of his angels, who have fallen with him, 
and have been cast out of heaven, engage with him. 

According to the Scriptural account, God created the 
heaven and the earth, and all that is upon the face of 
the earth, making the earth a paradise for man's 
habitation and for the Creator's glory. 

We shall here accept, in every particular, the in- 
spired account of the creation. There are some people 
who are called higher critics, but who would properly 
be called infidels, who are questioning, and fault- 
ing, and making light of the account of the crea- 
tion as given by Moses. They also call in question 
many other historical accounts related by sacred 
writers. Because they can not philosophize these 
things, nor understand them by the dim light of their 
much-spoken of "celestial lamp of reason," they pro- 
nounce them impossible. 



Redemption Completed. 17 

Rev. G. Campbell Morgan says : "A great battle is 
being fought around the first few chapters of Gene- 
sis ;" and it is true. Infidels, skeptics and critics are 
fighting hard to do away with these sacred accounts, 
while the true and loyal are defending the truth, and 
will face the enemy and fight until every black flag 
of falsehood will fall, tattered, to the ground, and the 
white flag of truth will wave its folds over the very 
ruins of the enemy. 

In the beginning God created the heaven and the 
earth. This beginning is, doubtless, a period of re- 
mote and unknown antiquity, hid in the depths of 
eternal ages — none are able to tell how long before the 
creation of man. The account sets forth the fact 
that all things had a beginning; that the earth was 
not brought about by chance, but that it was created ; 
not formed out of pre-existing materials, but made 
out of nothing. 

As to its condition we know very little, excepting 
that it was "without form and void; and darkness 
was upon the face of the deep." But "the Spirit of 
God moved upon the waters," which apparently cov- 
ered the face of the earth, and it was brought out of 
its chaotic state and becomes the scene of a new crea- 
tion. 

This is a beautiful revelation of Omnipotence, for 
note, whenever He speaks that voice conveys power, 
and is immediately followed by results. When He 
said "Let there be light," immediately there was 
light; and so on, in one grand succession of events, 
2 



18 Redemption Completed. 

He separates the waters from the waters and the 
waters from the land. He calls for grass to grow, 
and it springs up. He called for lights in the firma- 
ment, to divide the day from the night, and they ap- 
peared. He made the sun, moon and stars. Accord- 
ing to the account, some writers understand that 
these illuminaries were created prior to this time, 
but their lights were hidden ; or that, up to this time, 
they sustained no relationship to the earth, and now, 
order having been called out of disorder and confu- 
sion, the atmosphere becoming pure, for the first 
time the sun, moon and stars were unveiled, in all 
their glory, in a cloudless sky. He then created fish, 
and fowls, and beasts, and cattle, and creeping things. 
The first, second, third, fourth and fifth days roll 
by, in which the Creator is busy in His great work. 
That these days were of regular length can not well be 
disputed, from the fact that mornings and evenings 
are mentioned in connection with each day. Moses 
reckons according to the ancient style, not saying 
day and night, as we do, but morning and evening. 
All of these great things are accomplished, but the 
Creator has not yet completed His work. He has a 
purpose in His creation, and that purpose is not yet 
fully revealed. Last of all, He creates man in His 
own image. Male and female created He them. The 
Creator then blessed the pair which He had created, 
and said unto them: "Be fruitful, and multiply and 
replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have domin- 
ion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the 



Redemption Completed. 19 

air, and over every living thing that moveth upon 
the face of the earth." 

Here we call into account the evolutionist, who 
mocks at the inspired account of the creation of man. 
He argues, and reasons, and tries to explain how that 
man was not created man, but that he evolutionized 
from the lower animals; that he is perhaps a devel- 
opment of the monkey family, or that monkey and 
man have been developed from the same ancestry. 
This is surely not only a contradiction of the inspired 
account, but an insult upon the Creator. 

To add to the deception of such doctrine, in order 
to catch the unwary, shrewd men attempt to teach 
that such ideas do not conflict with the Bible account. 
Blasphemy in the highest degree, to profess to ac- 
cept the sacred account of the creation of man, which 
says that "God created man in His own image," and 
then argue that that image consisted in nothing more 
than an animal, of which the most perfect existing 
today, which is said to be man, has been produced by 
a long continued process of development, having as- 
cended by evolutionism to many higher degrees of in- 
telligence. 

It is sad to learn that some who are called Divines 
accept such miserable, wretched doctrine. 

There is only one way by which these wonders of 
creation can be understood. Not by the light of 
reason, but by the light of inspiration. Any attempt 
to account for the wonderful work of creation in any 
other light will plunge the individual into a mesh of 



20 Redemption Completed. 

uncertainty, mystery, falsehood, and infidelity, from 
which the strongest can not extricate himself; only 
the power of God can do it. 

A certain writer says : "If the Bible is true there 
should be no conflict between its teachings and sci- 
ence, for science is truth." There is some truth in 
the statement, but it should be made to read: The 
Bible is true, and nothing should be called science 
which does not harmonize with it. Much of the so- 
called science of today is nothing more nor less than 
polished falsehood. 

At this point we do not hesitate for a moment to 
stand upon strict orthodoxy and declare with Dr. 
Hodge, in his work on "Systematic Theology," that 
"man's body was formed by the immediate interven- 
tion of God; it did not grow, nor was it produced by 
any process of development." 

All such teachings should be labeled as poisonous 
in the extreme, and books which advocate such ideas 
as dangerous. Such authors and ideas deserve no re- 
spect, and, although it be an applauded Darwin, or 
a celebrated Huxley, it seems as though it would only 
be an unbalanced mind or crazed brain who would in- 
sist so eagerly that his ancestors were monkeys, or 
some other lower animal. 

It is very probable that before we get through 
with the history of man we will have concluded that 
man has devilutionized, rather than evolutionized. 

Again, there is another kind of gilt-edged evolution- 
ism which may look a little more plausible, but may 



Redemption Completed. 21 

be almost as dangerous. This evolutionism questions 
the fact that man was created man, as we understand 
from the plain account, but that he was a living cell, 
and finally, in a process of time, he developed into 
man. According to the Scriptural account, man was 
created in one day (the sixth) ; not partially made, 
or placed as a cell to be developed, but finished ; and 
we can see no reason why we should set aside the 
Scriptural account, because it would be no greater 
task for Omnipotence to create a living man than to 
create a living cell which would develop into a living 
man. Consequently we throw aside every other 
theory and accept the sacred account. 

Man was indeed very happy. The Creator had sur- 
rounded him with everything desirable to make him 
happy. Harmless beasts roamed about him. Shady 
trees filled with sweet songsters waved above him. 
Beautiful green sod formed his carpet. Flowing 
rivers and murmuring brooks slaked his thirst by 
their pure crystal waters. How wonderfully sublime 
the scene of the creation ! Over it all God made man 
king, and surely there was nothing more that he 
could wish for. 

The Creator, having made man first, saw that it 
was not good for man to be alone, so He created for 
him a helpmeet. 

We have no account of any storms, cyclones, earth- 
quakes, volcanic eruptions, famines, raging fevers or 
the like, for there were none. 

Satan, the fallen archangel, who was cast out of 



22 Redemption Completed. 

heaven, and who possessed no creative power, but 
who was determined to be equal with God, when he 
saw man reflecting the image of the Creator, and be- 
held the beauty of the creation, looked upon God with 
a jealous eye, and was bent upon having man and 
his dwelling place. He, with his fallen angels, with 
diabolical skill, council, plan and perpetrate a plot 
for the fall of man, in which thev succeed. 

The plan was effected by the seductions of a ser- 
pent. That this was a material serpent is evident 
from the plain and artless style of the history, and 
from the many allusions to it in the New Testament. 
But the material serpent was the instrument of a 
higher agent, Satan, or the devil, to whom the in- 
spired writers apply, from this incident, the reproach- 
ful name, "The Serpent," "The old Dragon." But 
the serpent, at the time of the fall, was far more 
beautiful and attractive than at the present, and 
doubtless inferior in intelligence to man only. 
Josephus seems to have held the idea that the ser- 
pent and some others of the more intelligent of the 
animal creation possessed the power of speech before 
the fall. This is only, or partially at least, presump- 
tion; yet it is possible. Whether or not the serpent 
naturally possessed the power of speech, or whether 
this power was simply permitted him for this one oc- 
casion, we can not say definitely, but it is evident that 
at this time he could articulate words, for he talked 
with the woman. 

At this time there were only two human beings on 



Redemption Completed. 23 

the earth, and there being no principle of evil in the 
pure bosoms of this happy pair, the solicitation to 
sin must come from without ; and, as Satan could not 
assume the human form, the agency of an inferior 
creature had to be employed. God had placed one 
restriction over the man and woman whom He had 
created. He told them that they might eat of the 
fruit of every tree in the garden excepting one; and 
in the day that they should eat of the fruit of that 
tree they should die. Now Satan takes advantage of 
the woman, who is frail — the weaker of the two ; and, 
in the absence of her husband, comes to her in the 
serpent, and insists that they may eat of the fruit of 
that tree, and declares that they shall not die, but 
promises that the eating of the fruit will make them 
as gods. She was deceived, and ate of the fruit, and 
gave to her husband, and he ate. But notice the 
change. When the Creator appeared in the garden, 
in the same manner as usual, they were afraid, and 
hid themselves for shame. But God called them, 
and when He made inquiry of them they began to 
throw the blame one on the other. The Creator is 
grieved, and greatly displeased, and He pronounces a 
doom first on the material serpent, which is cursed 
above all creatures. Although he may have been a 
model of grace, and beautiful in form, he is cursed, 
and becomes the type of all that is odious, low and 
disgusting. He is no longer allowed to walk about 
as other creatures, but must crawl upon the ground 
and eat dust all the days of his life. The curse has 



24 Redemption Completed. 

changed his material condition into a punishment. 
He is now branded as notoriously vile and avoided 
with horror. He then curses Satan, the spiritual ser- 
pent. A fallen angel, already a devil, seducing the 
human family! Although to this extent successful, 
yet God announces to him that from the offspring of 
the woman he had deceived one should be raised up 
who would bruise his head. (Gen. iii, 15.) 

Though Satan may not have known the full ex- 
tent of his doom, it meant that he must surrender up 
everything to Him who should redeem man, and that 
his power should be destroyed, and that he should be 
punished forever. God also said to the woman: "I 
will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; 
in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children." (Gen. 
iii, 16.) 

Immediately after God had created the man and 
woman He gave to them, in their pure and unfallen 
state, the command, "Be fruitful, and multiply and 
replenish the earth." (Gen. i, 28.) In that state it is 
reasonable to believe that childbearing would have 
been accomplished with the same ease and comfort as 
a tree bearing its fruit, and allowing it to fall to the 
ground when it is ripe. But from this time concep- 
tions are multiplied, and children are born amidst 
sorrow. 

Furthermore, because of sin, which is the work of 
Satan, God said to the man: "Cursed is the ground 
for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the 
days of thy life." (Gen. iii, 17.) Thorns and thistle** 



Redemption Completed. 25 

grew up and infested the ground, and instead of the 
beautiful, glorious creation, with man as king, enjoy- 
ing the luxuries of God's provision, which God in- 
tended that he should enjoy forever, everything is 
reversed, and man is driven from the garden to till 
the ground, and to earn his livelihood by hard and 
laborious toil, with the sentence of death upon him. 
Says a certain writer : "What a mournful chapter in 
the history of man. It gives the only true account of 
the origin of all the physical and moral evils that 
are in the world, upholds the moral character of God, 
shows that man, made upright, fell, from not being 
able to resist a slight temptation; and, becoming 
guilty and miserable, plunged all his posterity into 
the same abyss." Wherefore, as by one man sin en- 
tered into the world, and death by sin; and so death 
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Rom. 
v, 12.) Man's loss can not be estimated. He has lost 
his holv nature, communion with God, and his beau- 
tiful kingdom, and the whole race is plunged into a 
gulf of despair. 



CHAPTER II. 

Redemption — Introductory. 

IN" the preceding chapter we have stood upon the 
pinnacle of Time, and have looked back through 
many centuries at the wonders of God's creation. In 
the first view that was given us of the earth we dis- 
covered that it was without form and void. The pic- 
ture appeared a dark one; but, as we looked a little 
longer, we discovered that the supposed dark picture 
was only the dark background upon which a beauti- 
ful picture should be painted. 

We have watched with increasing eagerness, as the 
Creator said "let there be light, and there was light, v 
as He divided the light from the darkness, and called 
the one day and the other night. We have noted the 
obedience of the waters, as He commanded thorn to 
come together in one' place, and of the earth, when 
He commanded it to bring forth grass, and it was 
so. We have been delighted with the great light 
which He made for the day, and the lesser one for 
the night; also with the twinkling stars. Still, we 
have beheld Him as He created the fowls, and the 
fish, and the beasts, and have greatly admired the 
beauty of his creation ; but that which afforded great- 
est joy was that God created man, and that He created 

26 



Redemption Completed. 27 

him in His own likeness. He also gave to the man 
and woman whom He had created in His own image, 
as a home and kingdom. His beautiful creation. This 
is surely a delightful scene, but it is only a short time 
until the scene changes. God had given to man only 
one restriction, and this one restriction he fails to 
keep. Having violated the law of heaven and the 
command of the Creator, he has broken his spiritual 
relationship with the Father; his holiness is gone; 
his body becomes mortal, subject to disease and 
death. The ground is cursed because of the fall, and 
man is driven out to hard labor with death upon him. 
The scene is now changed; the picture becomes dark, 
and gloomy, and threatening, and we stand back, 
horror-stricken, wondering what will be the final out- 
come of all this. Will G-od, who is a just God, not 
become angry with man, who has become a rebel, and 
immediately execute His punishment by clashing the 
world to pieces, and thus destroy man? This might 
have been the result had not God loved His creatures. 

What an awful epoch in the history of the world ! 
Will man also join the fallen archangel in an apostasy 
against God ? Shall the Creators purpose in man be 
forever lost ? 

Should we be compelled to stop here with this sub- 
ject, in this awful midnight of despair, there would 
never have been a ray of light nor a gleam of hope to 
enter into the life of man; but he must universally 
and forever share with the fallen angels the misery 
and woe of an apostasy against God. 



28 Redemption Completed. 

This was a critical moment, but how astonishing 
the grace which at that moment gave promise of a 
Redeemer. 

Unto the serpent He said : "I will put enmity be- 
tween thee and the woman, and between thy seed and 
her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt 
bruise his heel." (Gen. iii, 15.) He even confers upon 
the woman, who had the disgrace of introducing sin, 
the future honor of introducing the Deliverer. Here, 
then, we have introduced to us the subject of redemp- 
tion, the great work which is to be accomplished by 
Him, who "shall bruise the serpent's head." 

It may be said that this great work involves the 
theme of the whole Bible, from Genesis to the last 
chapter of Revelations. 

It is the golden cord that connects prophecy with 
its fulfillment; that harmonizes revelation with mys- 
tery ; that purpose which actuated prophet, priest and 
apostle ; the one, and only one, which brought the Son 
of God to earth as a Savior. Although the serpent 
shall bruise the heel of him who crushes him, yet the 
poison of the serpent is in his head, and a bruise upon 
that part would prove fatal. The stroke which Christ 
will give Satan will be a fatal one. 

The extent of this great work, to be accomplished 
by Christ, is summed up and given in a few words 
found in 1 John, iii, 8 : "For this purpose the Son 
of God was manifested, that he might destroy the 
works of the devil." 

Redemption means to purchase back, to regain pos- 



Redemption Completed. 29 

session, to rescue from captivity or bondage, to free 
from liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying 
an equivalent. 

A farm, having been mortgaged away, can not be 
redeemed without some one to pay the price, and a 
sum to be paid, which will equal the amount of the 
mortgage. Likewise man, having forfeited his pos- 
session, it could not be purchased back without a re- 
deemer, and man could not regain his lost inheritance 
until the equivalent was paid. Man had no power 
by which he could redeem these lost possessions, hav- 
ing forfeited everything that he had; but Jesus 
Christ, the Son of God, is the Eedeemer who was not 
only promised, but who came, and His blood is the 
atonement provided as the redemption price for a 
fallen world. 

It is not our intention to discuss the mysteries of 
the atonement, nor to attempt to fathom the wisdom 
of the Eedeemer, but to look upon the work of the 
Eedeemer as He with His omnipotent hand sets 
about and accomplishes His great work of redemp- 
tion. 

It is here conceded that the best and wisest possess 
only a faint and vague idea of this great subject. 
Most people have never allowed themselves to inves- 
tigate this important theme further than to compre- 
hend that redemption means the salvation of the 
soul, and hold the idea that the work of redemption 
is completed in a moment, as the penitent soul yields 
unreservedly to the Eedeemer. This is true of that 



30 Redemption Completed. 

part of the great work of redemption, but this is only 
a fraction of its results and accomplishments. 

Eedemption not only reaches the soul of man, but 
it also touches his body, which has fallen a prey to 
the results of sin, and the earth, man's dwelling place, 
which was cursed for man's sake as a result of the 
fall. These facts will be clearly established in the 
following treatise upon the subject. 

The subject of redemption may be of greater in- 
terest to us than the subject of creation; yet in order 
to get the proper conception of redemption we must 
have a clear idea of the creation and the fall. It can 
be readily seen that from the nature of the work of 
redemption the facts concerning it must be based 
upon the facts of the creation and the fall. 

According then to the above text, it is the work of 
Christ to destroy the work of the devil. We may not 
be able to comprehend the full extent of this work. 
We should confess that there are many questions 
which we can not answer, a multitude of whys and 
wherefores which we do not know, mysteries which 
only God understands, but there are a few things 
which we may be able to understand. It is only of 
these few things which we wish to write, and leave 
the many things which we can not comprehend to be 
revealed in the future. 

It is then the work of redemption to destroy every- 
thing that Satan has built up ; to build up everything 
that Satan has torn down; to restore to man every- 
thing that was lost in the fall, and to reach out in 



Redemption Completed. 31 

minutest detail and meet every phase of the fall^ for 
anything short of this would fail to be complete re- 
demption. Then, by ascertaining the greatest extent 
of the fall, we may ascertain the smallest possible ex- 
tent of redemption. 

The effects of the fall may be summed up in the 
following results. : 

1st. It robbed man of his holiness. 

2d. It rendered his bodv mortal. 

3d. It wrought disaster upon the earth, man's 
dwelling place. 

This knowledge being obtained, a great light is 
thrown upon the work of redemption, for it must 
undo every one of these effects. 

None dare dispute the fact, that when man came 
from the hand of the Creator, with His own breath 
breathed into him, making him a living soul, that 
he was a holy being. He was created or made in the 
Creator's image. This image did not consist in the 
erect form or features of man, not in his intellect, 
for we have reason to believe that angels even are 
far superior to man in intelligence. Though it was 
evident that man was immortal, yet this image did 
not consist in his immortality, for man has not, like 
God, a past as well as a future ; but, in the moral dis- 
positions of his soul, commonly called original right- 
eousness. There could be no closer union than that 
which existed between man and his Creator. The re- 
sult was a sweet communion and close fellowship, and 
God and heaven smiled upon man. Had man re- 



32 Redemption Completed. 

tained that relationship to the Father and the holy 
character of his soul, he would never have known a 
fear, a condemnation, a remorse, a regret, a sorrow, 
nor a dissatisfaction. Obedience to God would have 
barred against man all of these things. But when 
man disobeyed he forfeited his holiness, and opened 
the door which let in upon himself all of these things. 

The work of redemption, then, is to restore to man 
holiness, which he originally possessed, with its con- 
comitant blessings — love, peace, joy, and heavenly 
smiles. Shall it be accomplished ? Thanks be to our 
God for a redemption which is able to restore to man 
righteousness and true holiness equal to that which 
was enjoyed in Eden. Man must have a new crea- 
tion, and this creation is a restoration of this image. 
Paul informs us that man is renewed after the image 
of God in knowledge, righteousness and true holiness. 
(Col. iii, 10; Eph. iv, 24.) It is a part of redemption 
to restore man to the image of his Creator in the dis- 
positions of his soul; but to restore man to holiness 
is not the full extent of the work of redemption, for 
man 7 s loss of holiness was only a part of the effects 
of the fall. 

Before sin entered into the world man possessed 
an immortal body. Although the immortality which 
he possessed was conditioned, or probationary, it was 
nevertheless immortality, for God had not purposed 
that man should die, but that he should have an end- 
less existence upon the earth, which he would have 
enjoyed had not sin intervened. Death came as a 



Redemption Completed. 33 

punishment for and consequence of sin, and had 
it not been for sin man would never have known 
sickness, death and dissolution. It was not until 
after the fall that God pronounced the dissolution of 
man's body upon him, and associated it with and pro- 
nounced it upon him as a result of the same cause 
with all of the other curses. 

Even as sin has touched man's body, making it 
mortal, so redemption necessarily retouches it and 
restores to man a bodv which is immortal and in- 
corruptible. Should it fail to do this, the effects of 
the fall would have reached further than the work of 
redemption would reach. But in the plan of redemp- 
tion a provision has been made for the redemption of 
the body, which it accomplishes by the resurrection of 
those who have died, and by the translation of those 
who are partakers of it, when Christ comes, and man's 
redemption is complete. 

After having accomplished such a great work for 
man, restoring him to a holy state, and giving him 
an immortal body, still redemption has not yet com- 
pleted its work, for it has not yet reached the full ex- 
tent of the fall. Could we believe that our Creator 
would be satisfied with only a partial restoration, 
and be baffled by the devil's work? Should it even 
stop here it would fail to be complete redemption. 
But it will not stop here, but will go to the fullest 
extent of the fall, and as wreck and ruin was wrought 
upon the earth, it too must have a touch of redemp- 
tion's power. The earth still moves, but upon a 
3 



34 Redemption Completed. 

mediatorial basis. It is disordered and defaced, and 
as it was cursed for man's sake, it too must share in 
his redemption, to deliver it from its sin-blighted 
condition under which it is groaning. 

The earth was created in and sustained a close re- 
lationship to heaven. In fact, it was a part of it, but 
Satan has conquested it, and has made a desperate 
struggle to annex it to the kingdom of darkness, in 
which he has partially succeeded for a time. He 
has set up his kingdom in it, and with his evil spirits 
and agents is roaming over it, struggling hard to de- 
stroy all righteousness and retain it for himself 
forever. 

Earth has been severed from heaven. Its rela- 
tionship has been partially lost, and it is only the 
cord of promised redemption which holds it from 
swinging eternally into despair. Should the promise 
be broken, earth would be swallowed up in darkness 
forever. But thanks be to God, redemption's cord 
can not be severed. Satan's kingdom is doomed to 
destruction. Christ will not only destroy his work, 
tear down his kingdom, but confine him and his fol- 
lowers to the burning pits of hell forever; and by 
the great work of completed redemption shall purify 
the earth, bring it back and annex it to heaven, where 
it rightly belongs, and for this purpose it was cre- 
ated. 

Eedemption began its work the moment that the 
Eedeemer was promised, making it possible for the 
first pair who fell to partake of it, and has been doing 



Redemption Completed. 35 

its work every moment since upon the hearts of peni- 
tents, and will continue until every taint of the fall 
is erased, and man will be restored, with a holy dis- 
position and an immortal body, to an unfading Eden. 

Be it noted that redemption is wrought upon 
men, only as they accept of it. Some choose to be 
redeemed and are made happy partakers in a com- 
plete redemption; others reject and suffer the pun- 
ishment for rebellion against God, with Satan and 
the fallen angels. As man was created with a free 
agency, and his fall came by freedom of his choice, 
so man possesses a freedom of choice to either accept 
or reject the redemption which Christ offers to him. 
But redemption shall be wrought in behalf of those 
who shall be redeemed through Christ. 

We then conclude that man's soul is redeemed 
through regeneration and sanctification by the Holy 
Spirit now. Man's body shall be redeemed at the 
resurrection, and man's dwelling place, his inherit- 
ance, the earth, shall be redeemed perfectly, when 
the heavens and the earth shall be made new, and 
shall exceed in glory the first Paradise. This is re- 
demption complete. 




m CHAPTER III. 

Redemption of the Earth. 

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and 
travaileth in pain together until now." (Rom. viii, 22.) 

EDEMPTION" reaches just as far as the effects 
of sin have gone. Sin has not torn down one 
thing which Christ will not rebuild. It has not de- 
stroyed one thing which redemption will not replace; 
has not lost one thing which redemption will not re- 
gain; has not impaired one thing which redemption 
will not repair. Anything short of this would not 
be redemption, and for ns to expect of redemption 
anything short of this would be for ns to judge Christ 
less powerful than Satan, to ignore the arrangement 
of Heaven for the redemption of the world, to pro- 
nounce Christ's mission, His death, sufferings and 
resurrection a failure, and the word of divine reve- 
lation a farce; but thanks be to God, His purpose is 
not in vain nor His plan a failure. 

Satan has driven his conquest over the entire 
earth, and to-day he sits as a usurper upon the 
thrones of the earth. He is declared to be "the 
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now 
worketh in the children of disobedience." (Eph. 
ii, 2.) Even the very atmosphere seems to be 

36 



Redemption Completed. 37 

charged with Satanic influence. While "the heavens 
declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth 
his handiwork/' and in every stream, lake, tree, leaf, 
bud and flower can be seen the glory of God, yet the 
earth has lost much of its original beauty, and is 
groaning in pain because of it. It is swept by cy- 
clones, shaken and rent by earthquakes. One of 
these just recently occurred in Guatemala, in which 
six thousand lives were destroyed. Volcanoes are 
exploding like Mount Pelee a few months ago, spit- 
ting forth ashes and lava from its heated interior, 
pouring out its anger upon the city of St. Pierre, 
until forty thousand of its inhabitants were de- 
stroyed. Hurricanes, storms, cyclones and torna- 
does are sweeping the country, tearing down houses 
and barns, destroying forests and carrying away 
bridges, killing men, women and children. A few 
months ago a tornado visited Dacca, India, destroyed 
the city, ruined the crops and four hundred and 
sixteen lives were lost. Angry tempests are dis- 
turbing the waters of the deep, upsetting ships, 
drowning passengers. Thunders are rolling, light- 
nings are playing, occasionally setting buildings on 
fire or instantly striking some one to the ground. 
The earth is growing up with thorns, thistles and 
weeds. The forests are teeming with wild animals. 
In the jungle can be heard the growling of the 
tiger, the roar of the lion, the hissing of the serpent, 
crawling among ambush or hanging from the trees. 
Pestilences or diseases, such as yellow fever, diph- 



38 Redemption Completed. 

theria and smallpox, are raging in divers places, 
sweeping thousands from the face of the earth. 

This is a picture of the present condition of the 
earth, brought about through the curse of sin. But 
this will be changed. Christ came to destroy the 
works of Satan, and these being his works they shall 
be destroyed. God promised through the prophet 
Isaiah, saying: "For behold I create new heavens 
and a new earth." (Isa. lxv, 17.) Peter also ex- 
claims, "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, 
look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwell- 
eth righteousness." (2 Peter, iii, 13.) 

There is an idea prevailing among nearly all 
classes of people, and among many honest Christian 
people, that there will be a time when everything ex- 
cepting spiritual natures will utterly cease to be, that 
the solar system will collapse, and that the earth and 
all material will be burned up. This is a doctrine 
which most of us have been taught, and which still 
clings to many, especially to those who are less in- 
clined to an investigation of God's revealed word. 
This idea is one which had its birth in the middle or 
dark ages, and which we believe has largefy in- 
fluenced the translation of the English Bible. 
Around it clusters much superstition which was very 
prevailing during that dark period. A careful and 
critical study of divine truth reveals a different as- 
pect of affairs, and the happy discovery comes in 
upon the honest inquiring soul like the rosy morning 



Redemption Completed. 39 

after the black shades of the long dark night, or the 
sunshine after the raging storm. 

Of course there is to be an "end of the world/' 
The Bible frequently refers to it, but it does not re- 
fer to the world as a planet, but is spoken of with 
reference to time or duration, as a space of time or 
an age. Again, the earth is spoken of as perishing, 
being dissolved, flying away, etc., but the connections 
show that a cessation of being is not meant, but a 
termination or dissolution of the present condition of 
things, to give place to a new and better condition. 

Peter, in speaking of the antediluvian world, says : 
"The world that then was, being overflowed with 
water, perished." (2 Peter iii, 6.) The earth as a 
planet was not destroyed, but all wicked people and 
condition of things as they then existed. But the 
earth remained and the race continued, and both are 
perpetuated until this day. In the succeeding verse 
he says : "But the heavens and the earth which are 
now" (now, at this time, a different or changed 
world), "by the same word are kept in store, re- 
served unto fire against the day of judgment and 
perdition of ungodly men." (2 Peter iii, 7.) Ac- 
cordingly, as the world that then was perished by 
water, even so the earth that now is shall be destroyed 
by fire, or burned up. Not the earth as a planet to 
be consumed in smoke, but the present condition of 
the earth to be changed; and as God used the flood 
as a means to renovate the earth that then was, par- 



4:0 Redemption Completed. 

tially delivering it from the curse, so shall He use the 
fire of which Peter writes (.2 Peter iii, 10), which 
shall melt the elements, as a means to renovate the 
present earth, and deliver it wholly from the curse. 

It will not be until this comes to pass that the 
work of redemption will be completed, for it will not 
be until then that the effects of sin will be destroyed 
from off the face of the earth. 

It proves itself a difficult thing to get man to leave 
his early childhood teachings, and for this cause some 
will still cling to the idea that the earth will be en- 
tirely consumed and will finally no longer exist. 
A careful and prayerful study of the revealed word 
will clearly establish the fact in any impartial mind 
that the earth as a planet shall not be annihilated 
but changed and renewed, for almost every scripture, 
relating to the subject, indicates that a dissolution of 
the present condition of affairs is meant. It will be 
a terrible day when these things come to pass, but it 
is the process which infinite wisdom sees fit to use 
for the eradication of all the effects of sin, the puri- 
fication and complete renovation of the earth, prac- 
tically remaking it, or making it new. We can not 
doubt but that even now the fires are already kindled; 
and while they are confined to the subterranean 
channels, only now and then being permitted to 
manifest themselves upon the exterior of the earth, 
to warn man of their presence, they only await the 
time of the Infinite when, at His consent, they will 
perform their fiery, melting work of purification. 



Redemption Completed. 41 

The psalmist entertained the idea that the world 
should not be swept into nothingness, but remade 
or changed, when he wrote the following: "Of old 
hast thou laid the foundations of the earth : and the 
heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall per- 
ish but thou shalt endure : yea, all of them shall wax 
old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change 
them, and they shall be changed." (Psalms cii, 25, 
26.) Paul, by inspiration, wrote a parallel message: 
"And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the 
foundation of the earth ; and the heavens are the work 
of thine hands. They shall perish; but thou remain- 
est; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 
and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they 
shall be changed." (Heb. i, 10-12.) So while 
the day of God is destroying in its nature it is also 
upbuilding, and against the destructive effects of re- 
demption stands its constructive results. 

The study of the Scriptures as a whole, which is 
the only proper method for the study of them, throws 
a light upon the subject which enables the anxious 
inquirer to comprehend the statement made by 
Christ and recorded in St. Matthew xxiv, 35, and in 
St. Luke xxi, 33 : "Heaven and esrth shall pass away, 
but my words shall not pass away." 

As in regeneration a man is made new, old things 
passing away, he becoming a new creature, yet not 
annihilated, so in the change which will be brought 
about in the earth, old things will pass away and all 
things will become new. Says Dr. Joseph Seiss: 



42 Redemption* Completed. 

"The Greek word which is used to describe the change 
in individual, is the same one which is used to ex- 
press the change which will be brought about in the 
material world. That word is regeneration, which 
conveys the idea of deliverance rather than destruc- 
tion, and that of transition, not extinction/'' This 
is not a farfetched doctrine, founded upon a few ob- 
scure and isolated passages of Scripture, as some sup- 
pose, but stands out prominently in nearly all Bible 
prophecy and teaching. Solomon, the wise man, who 
lived nearly a thousand years before Christ, said: 
"One generation passeth away and another cometh: 
but the earth abideth forever/" (Eccl. i, 14.) 

Speaking of the earth the Psalmist declares: 
"The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell 
therein forever/'' (Psalms xxxvii, 29.) The Prophet 
Isaiah also testifies: "Thy people also shall be all 
righteous: they shall inherit the land forever/'' (Isa. 
lx, 21.) Now, every one can understand that if a 
people are to inherit and dwell in a land forever, it 
must remain, otherwise they could not inherit it, 
neither dwell in it. These, with many scriptures fol- 
lowing in succeeding chapters, showing the future 
condition of the earth, are enough to convince any 
honest, candid inquirer that the earth, changed, re- 
generated, renewed, shall exist forever. 

John the Beloved, who had leaned upon the breast 
of Jesus, having been carried away to the lonely isle 
of Patmos, because of the testimony he had witnessed 
for Christ, while there he was in the spirit, and was 



Redemption Completed. 43 

carried out of his own time and place into the great 
day of the Lord, and saw things transpiring just 
as thejr will actually come to pass in that great day. 
While here he had a view of the effect of redemption 
upon the old earth and he saw "earth new" and 
"heaven new"* — not heaven, the abode of the saints, 
as some might suppose, but heaven, the atmosphere 
encircling the earth. These were not blotted out or 
swept away into nothingness, but retouched, changed, 
renovated, regenerated and cleansed. This regenera- 
tion, or renewal of the earth, will bring about 
a material change upon it, equal at least to 
the material change brought upon the earth 
in the fall. Every condition of the earth, 
physical and moral, which had its beginning at 
the fall, will have its ending at this time. 
Everv condition which naturally belonged to the 
earth before it was defaced by sin, which had an 
ending at the fall, will have a new beginning at this 
time, not any more to be ended by an invasion of the 
devil ; for, before this time Satan, who deceived man, 
will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where 
he shall be tormented day and night forever. (Rev. 
xx, 10.) 

The material universe is not swept out of exist- 
ence into nothingness, for the material universe had 
not its beginning with the fall, but existed before 
sin came ; neither will it have its ending in this time 

* Authority for this translation, "Lectures on Apoca- 
lypse," Vol. 3, page 378, 



44 Bedemption Completed. 

spoken of, but will exist forever after sin has been 
destroyed. But every evil condition shall be re- 
moved. Every curse shall be destroyed, for no curse 
could have marred the beauty and blessedness of an 
unfallen world, neither can it enter one redeemed, 
made new. There shall be no more curse. (Eev. 
xxii, 3.) Pestilences, all such diseases as are com- 
mon to a fallen world, of which mortals are heirs, 
and against which they battle with might, but with 
no avail, shall at this time fall under the Creator's 
mighty sledge hammer of redemption. They have 
had their beginning at the fall, and will have their 
ending at the restoration. 

The curse of weeds, thorns and thistles, with their 
ever-increasing varieties, the enemy of useful grains 
and fruits, adding to man's labor and toil, these, 
too, having had their birth in the fall, shall have 
their destruction at this time, and shall go down un- 
der the mighty forces of renewal. "Thou renewest 
the face of the earth." (Psalms civ, 30.) Added to 
the curse of weeds, thorns, and thistles is the curse 
of insects, worms, bugs, etc. These are of all kinds 
and descriptions: some walking or crawling, some 
creeping, flying, etc. They are of all sizes, from the 
destructive locust to the insect so small that it can 
hardly be seen with the naked eye. All of these are 
enemies of vegetation. By eating or stinging, they 
destroy wheat, corn, potatoes, and all other kinds of 
grains and products. They are very disastrous to 
all kinds of fruits, such as apples, peaches, cherries, 



Redemption Completed. 45 

plums, etc. They effect this destruction by sting- 
ing the fruit while in blossom, and although the 
fruit may grow for a time, it is not long until the 
enemy's work has developed, and the fruit drops un- 
timely and prematurely to the ground. 

Every plant of nature has its enemy, which seeks 
to destroy it. These are facts known not only to 
the wise and learned but are understood best, per- 
haps, by the common class of farm laborers. They 
are facts with which every schoolboy and school- 
girl are more or less acquainted. We can account for 
this condition of affairs in no other way than that it is 
a curse, brought about through the fall, acting as a 
punishment for man. Then we believe that when this 
earth passes out from under the present curse, under 
which it is groaning, and redemption works its re- 
newal, everything which has been brought upon it as 
a curse, shall be destroyed. When this work 
is completed there will be no more enemy for 
every grain and plant; no more insects, bugs and 
worms that sting and blight the products of nature, 
rendering the labor of man's hands futile and un- 
profitable; for "there shall be no more curse/' The 
forces of nature which have been set against each 
other, and the disturbing of the elements of na- 
ture, resulting in earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, 
lightnings, storms, cyclones, hurricanes, tempests, 
and all other disturbances of like nature will cease, 
and all nature will become peaceful and quiet. 
These are unnatural disturbances which have been 



46 Redemption" Completed. 

caused and set in motion by the awful and sudden 
change in the condition of the world. But when 
redemption has completed its work in the earth all 
of these conditions will be changed, and the earth 
will be placed beyond the possibility of ever again 
being thrown into mad convulsions as a consequence 
of sin. It shall not cease to be inhabited. The con- 
nections with nearly every scripture setting forth 
this great change prove that the earth not only abides 
but that it will still be inhabited. Its habitation did 
not begin with the reign of sin, but with holiness; 
neither shall it cease at this time. Its beauty will 
be wondrously improved. While as yet the earth 
bears many marks of beauty and exhibits much of 
the Master's creative skill: bud, flower, leaf, grass, 
tree, lake, stream — all these bespeak his praises; yet 
much of the earth's attractiveness and beauty has 
been lost. Sandy deserts, rocky wastes, barren tracts 
added to the before-mentioned curses, have subtracted 
much from its original beauty. But when the Cre- 
ator puts His hand upon it the second time to restore 
it, there will not be left a sandy desert, a barren tract 
or a rocky waste. Doubtless, in order to show the 
wonderful triumph of holiness over sin and redemp- 
tion over the fall, He will cause its beauty and bless- 
edness to eclipse by far its first condition, and it will 
come forth from His hand, sparkling and shining 
with unfading and never-ending beauty. Every 
saint should rejoice and fall upon his face in thank- 
fulness for such a complete redemption, that not only 



Redemption Completed. 47 

lifts man from the curse and the awful depths of sin 
to which he has fallen, but reaches out just as far as 
the effects of sin have gone, and lifts the curse from 
God's entire creation under which it is groaning. 

God created man in His own image, and the earth 
was given him as his theater, possession, and happy 
home. Sin touched man and his purity was gone. 
Because of sin the curse came. But the nature and 
effect of redemption necessarily involves the restora- 
tion of man to purity and God's likeness, and the lift- 
ing of the curse from the earth, man's dwelling place. 

Take, then, a good view of the effects of sin upon 
the earth. See it disrobed of its original beauty 
and glory, robbed of its peace and calmness, cursed 
by thorns and weeds, disturbed by earthquakes, vol- 
canoes, storms and cyclones, covered with disease and 
death. All of this is the result of the fall, Satan's 
work. Now, remember the key to the solution of 
the problem of redemption: "For this purpose the 
son of God was manifested that he might destroy 
the works of the devil." (1 John iii, 8.) 

Then as sin has touched the earth and robbed it, 
so redemption will retouch it and redeem it to orig- 
inal purity and Edenic splendor. 



CHAPTEE IV. 

Redemption of the Body. 

"Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for 
the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body." (Rom. 
viii, 23.) 

SIN" has not only touched earth, man's dwelling 
place, divesting it of its original beauty, splendor 
and glory, causing it to grow up with thorns and 
thistles, rendering nature unnatural, setting its 
forces against each other, causing angry tempests to 
sweep the waters, cyclones and hurricanes which de- 
stroy forests and cities, earthquakes which rend the 
soil and rocks, which open up and swallow earth's in- 
habitants; lightnings which rend the atmosphere, 
causing the deafening thunder, volcanoes which is- 
sue forth their ashes and red-hot lava upon the earth, 
hot springs or geysers forcing their scalding con- 
tents high into the air and shrouding the face of the 
spectator in its steam and spray, which is the effect 
of a subterranean heat, reminding one of the fire 
unquenchable, not kindled by human hands, but add 
to this the fall of man's nature, making him a rebel, 
filling his heart with mischief, deceit and wickedness, 
robbing him of holy affections, motives and desires, 
wresting from him unsullied conscience, and good 

48 



Redemption Completed. 49 

judgment. But this is not all. Through sin, and 
the disorders which it has brought, the body of man 
has been corrupted, and is heir of various diseases, 
subject to be wasted with consumptions, burned with 
fevers, scalded with hot humors, eaten up with can- 
cers, putrefied by mortifications, suffocated by asth- 
mas, strangled by quinsies, or racked to death by 
loathsome disorders, or various accidents. The very 
atmosphere seems to be charged with evil influences 
and laden with germs of disease and death. 

Although man makes a desperate effort to live, 
employs medical assistance, yet all efforts are in vain 
under the curse of sin. Sooner or later, baffling the 
skill of physicians, the honor of kingdoms, the love 
of dear ones, and the wealth of the world, corrup- 
tion comes, dragging young and old, rich and poor, 
high and low, to dark, cold and loathsome graves, to 
that silent repository where odious reptiles fatten 
upon their flesh, and bodies molder back to earth, 
for it is written, "unto dust thou shalt return." This 
is one of the effects of the fall, and one which is evi- 
dently very prevailing. Wherever human life ex- 
ists, there death is certain to find its way. It is a 
dreaded enemy among all races. Its domain is from 
pole to pole, and covers the entire surface of the 
earth. It visits the solitary hovels of the poor and 
the gilded palaces of the rich. It makes its claim 
upon the humble peasant and the exalted monarch. 
Alike, without respect of persons, all share in the 
curse of corruption. 



50 Redemption Completed. 

Look at the sweet little babe in its fond mother's 
arms, kissed and caressed, and acknowledged as the 
joy of father's and mother's heart and the light of 
the home. In its innocency it smiles, and mother 
and all around smile and are happy. Can it not be 
spared from the curse of corruption? Nay. There 
may intervene between it and death a few days, or 
the, by reason of strength, age of four score years, 
yet, without fail, it is claimed by the dreaded foe. 

Look at the young maiden with graceful form and 
silken hair and rosy cheek ; hear the sweet tone of her 
voice. Her heart beats with rapture as she con- 
templates the prospects of the happy future life. 
But to the disappointment of father, mother and 
loved ones, the curse of man claims her as its vic- 
tim, and with broken hearts and tear-dimmed eyes, 
the parting words are said, and she is laid away in 
the silent city of the dead. 

Look at the young man with erect form and 
broad shoulders and large chest. His muscles are 
strong, and his voice commanding. He is refined, cul- 
tured, and his education is remarkably advanced. 
Life to him is indeed very promising. Should any 
one be able to resist the approaching forces of de- 
cay, he is the one. But, alas ! it is only the ques- 
tion of a few fleeting years at the most, until the vi- 
tal forces will have given way and the victory won 
for corruption. 

Look at your own hands and physical form, and 
remember that they must become dust. 



Redemption Completed. 51 

Without respect to age, sex, color, occupation or 
rank in life, this is true in every case. This curse 
is a direct result of the fall; and there is all 
reason to believe, that had sin never entered into 
the world, the dissolution of the body would never 
have been known; man would never have died. 

God gave to the human family one restriction, and 
this must be kept, upon the penalty of death. He 
assigns no reasons for this restriction, but said, "In 
the day that thou eatest thereof" (the forbidden 
tree) "thou shalt surely die." (Gen. ii, 17.) But, 
through the cunningness of Satan man was de- 
ceived, and took of the fruit and ate it, and he must 
pay the penalty. "Man became mortal; although 
he did not die the moment he ate the forbidden 
fruit, his body underwent a change that would lead to 
dissolution. The union subsisting between his soul 
and God having already been dissolved, he had be- 
come liable to all the miseries of this life and to the 
pains of hell forever."* 

It was not until man had sinned, and God had 
cursed the material serpent and the devil, that he 
drove man from the garden, and informed him that 
he must return to dust. The expulsion and this 
sentence upon man occurs at the same time, evi- 
dencing the fact that his being driven out and his 
returning to dust are the results of one cause: the 
fall. 



h J. F. B. Commentary. 



52 Redemption" Completed. 

This mortality has been handed down through suc- 
cessive generations and is the common lot of the hu- 
man family. This being unmistakably and indis- 
putably an effect of the fall, it can be readily seen 
that the redemption from the fall must necessarily 
destroy this effect. Doubtless Satan laughed, hav- 
ing won so great a victory over God's creatures, 
rejoicing in the hope that the Creator's plans were 
forever spoiled; but God, the Father, when he ar- 
ranged the plan of redemption, arranged it per- 
fectly, so as to meet every phase of the fall, measur- 
ing up in every smallest detail, to an overflowing pos- 
sibility of reaching the widest range, the highest 
heights and deepest depths of the fall, and de- 
stroying in minutest detail every consequence and 
effect of sin; even abundantly able to deliver the 
body of man from the corruption which sin has 
brought. 

This part of the work of redemption is not per- 
fected in this life, but awaits the future. Should any 
one insist that the work of redemption is accom- 
plished in the body of man in this life, he would 
do well to ask himself the question, whether his 
body is exempt from pain, sickness and death. 
If not, redemption's work is not yet wrought 
in that body. The apostle makes this plain in the 
following text. "Even we ourselves groan within 
ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the re- 
demption of the body." — Bom. viii, 23. Here the 
apostle, who had doubtless attained to all of the 



Redemption Completed. 53 

privileges of redemption possible in this life, testi- 
fies that "even we ourselves" are awaiting the time to 
come for the "redemption of the body." 

Eedemption is a perfect arrangement, and has its 
appointed time of working upon the different phases 
of the fall, and in God's own time will be complete. 
Man's body will be fully redeemed and made as free 
from sickness, pain and dissolution, when redemption 
has wrought its work in it, as though it had never 
known sin. Not a mark, nor scar, nor trace of dis- 
ease or dissolution can be found upon the body when 
redemption has completed its work. This achieve- 
ment, for man, has been won through the resurrec- 
tion of Christ, affording to man the resurrection of 
the body, and is that work expressed by Paul in the 
words, "We shall all be changed." (1 Cor. xv, 51.) 

During the walk of the Son of God upon earth 
Satan used every possible means to defeat the great 
plan of redemption, and in his ignorance of the di- 
vine arrangement allowed himself to be used as a tool 
to assist in the execution of the plan. 

At this connection it must be remembered that 
Satan could not look through the plan of redemption, 
not being omniscient, as this knowledge belongs to 
God only. N"o doubt devils and demons and imps of 
the lower region chuckled with hellish glee when 
wicked men, who are Satan's agents, succeeded in 
nailing Christ to the cross; at the sight of which, 
when he exclaimed, "It is finished," and died, the 
sun veiled His face in shame, the earth was covered 



54 Redemption" Completed. 

with darkness and the rocks trembled. In vain did 
they feel assured that they were victorious at last, 
and the plan of redemption forever frustrated; but 
God would not suffer His Holy One to see corrup- 
tion, and to the astonishment of men, angels and 
devils, Christ broke the bars of the tomb. The grave 
could not keep its prey, and He arose, a victor over 
death, making himself the firstfruits of the resur- 
rection, achieving for saints a victory over corrup- 
tion, which baffled the skill of demons. 

Scripture verifies these statements concerning the 
redemption of the body. Even we ourselves groan 
for it. Paul says, "So also is the resurrection of the 
dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incor- 
ruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory ; 
it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." (1 Cor. 
xv, 42, 43.) To this, let me add the testimony of the 
learned Josephus, who, in his discourse to the Greeks, 
who did not believe in the resurrection, says: "It 
must never be said of God that He is able to do some 
things and unable to do others. We have therefore 
believed that the body will be raised again, for al- 
though it be dissolved, it is not perished; for the 
earth receives its remains, and preserves them; and 
while they are like seed, and are mixed among the 
more fruitful soil, they flourish, and what is sown 
is indeed sown bare grain, but at the mighty sound 
of God the Creator it will sprout up, and be raised 
and clothed in a glorious condition, though not be- 
fore it has been dissolved and mixed (with the earth) . 



Redemption Completed. 55 

So that we have not rashly believed the resurrection of 
the body; for although it be dissolved for a time, on 
account of the original transgression, it exists still, 
and is cast into the earth, as into a potter's furnace, 
in order to be formed again, not in order to rise 
again such as it was before, but in a state of purity, 
and so as never to be destroyed any more. And to 
every body shall its own soul be restored. And when 
it hath clothed itself with that body it will not be 
subject to misery, but being itself pure, it will con- 
tinue with its pure body, and rejoice with it, with 
which it having walked righteously now in this world, 
and never having had it as a snare, it will receive it 
again with great gladness. But as for the unjust, 
they will receive their bodies not changed, not freed 
from diseases or distempers, nor made glorious, but 
with the same diseases wherein they died; and such 
as they were in unbelief, the same shall they be when 
they shall be faithfully judged/' 

It should not be understood that the redemption 
of the body can only take place after having been 
entirely dissolved. The living, though in best of 
health, carry in their body germs of disease, which 
are constantly making a desperate effort for the 
mastery. Although persons may adorn and decorate 
their bodies, and color their faces to appear beauti- 
ful, yet, in a certain sense, even now, their bodies are 
in a process of dissolution. Were it not for the 
heroic efforts upon the part of the vital organs of the 
body, which fight for life, the battle would be short, 



56 Redemption Completed. 

and victory soon won for dissolution. But when 
these organs of life become fatigued and worn out by 
hard toil and incessant labor, the body falls an easy 
prey to dissolution. The Scriptures plainly teach us 
that not all will have died, but that some will be liv- 
ing when Christ comes and the resurrection occurs. 
"Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not sleep 
but we shall all be changed." (1 Cor. xv, 51.) Notice, 
we shall all be changed, both living and dead. Again, 
Paul says: "The Lord himself shall descend from 
heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, 
and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ 
shall rise first : Then we which are alive and remain 
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, 
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be 
with the Lord." (1 Thess. iv, 16, 17.) Here it is seen 
that the coming of the Lord brings a change for all 
saints. As the resurrection of the saints occurs at 
the same time and with His coming, so the change 
for both living and dead means the redemption of the 
body. The translating of the living means the same 
to them as the resurrection to those who are dead. 

Christ, in teaching His disciples concerning the 
signs that shall precede His coming, said: "And 
when these things begin to come to pass, then look 
up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption 
draweth nigh." (St. Luke xxi, 28.) 

Coming back again to the apostle's treatise of the 
subject : In reference to the dead who shall be raised 
he says : "For this corruptible must put on incorrup- 



Redemption Completed. 57 

tion;" and of those who shall be translated he says: 
"And this mortal must put on immortality. So when 
this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and 
this mortal will have put on immortality, then shall 
be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death 
is swallowed up in victory." (1 Cor. xv, 53, 54.) 

Looking at human life from the standpoint of the 
fall and the curse, it presents a sad and dark picture, 
without a ray of hope to cheer fallen, corrupting 
mortals. But redemption disperses the gloom and 
darkness from the approaching night of death, and 
overcomes the power of corruption and the grave. 
Accordingly, then, having been sold under sin, even 
we, as saints, having been delivered from the moral 
pollution in this present life, must meekly submit to 
the corruption of the body, rejoicing in the fact that 
the grave can receive our bodies only, while the spirit 
is free from its corrupting influence, and in the prom- 
ise of the redemption of the body, when it will have 
been remolded, glorified, and again fitted for the habi- 
tation of the pure spirit. This is only reasonable and 
just and certain; for since through the fall the body 
of man has been polluted, redemption must neces- 
sarily deliver it from that pollution. 

Dear reader, redemption means everything to us. 
It means everything for our happiness and deliver- 
ance, just as the fall meant everything for our sor- 
row and ruin. It may well be emphasized that it in- 
volves the theme of the whole Bible. 

Wonderful, wonderful, indeed ! Providing for hu- 



58 Redemption Completed. 

man beings of a fallen apostasy, sold under sin, con- 
demned by the law, heirs of disease and death, a de- 
liverance from the penalty of eternal death and the 
curse of corruption ; affording to man boundless pos- 
sibilities, inexpressible glories, inconceivable rap- 
tures, and a limitless, measureless, and never-ending 
future, freed from the curse of the fall and the cor- 
ruption of sin. 



CHAPTER V. 

The Millennium. 

THE Scriptures teach us of a time preceding the 
full and final redemption of all things, which is 
called the millennium. At this time the earth will 
not be in its eternal state, , but its moral, and even 
physical, condition will have been wonderfully im- 
proved, and a rapid stride will have been made toward 
its final regeneration. This period shall last a thou- 
sand years, during which time Satan shall be bound 
and Christ shall reign with His people upon the 
earth. (Eev. xx, 2.) The political condition of the 
world will change, and the government shall be in the 
hands of Christ and His subjects. This might be 
termed the moral renovation of the earth. 

The millennium is divided from the period in 
which we live, by the appearing of the Lord, at which 
time the saints shall be caught up to meet Him in 
the air; the bodies of the saints who have died will 
be resurrected, and those of the living shall be trans- 
lated. While the saints are happy with their Lord, 
an awful tribulation takes place upon the earth; that 
tribulation of which Christ told His disciples : "For 
then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since 
the beginning of the world, to this time, no, nor ever 
shall be." (Matt, xxiv, 21.) Such a tribulation that 

59 



60 Redemption Completed. 

the fall of Jerusalem could scarcely be compared to, 
because He declares that never one had been equal to 
it. Even the flood, which destroyed the antediluvian 
world, and was multiplied times as great as the down- 
fall of Jerusalem, would not equal it. 

John, while on Patmos, had a vision of this great 
tribulation, as well as of the new heaven and new 
earth, and he says: "In those days shall men seek 
death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, 
and death shall flee from them." (Rev. ix, 6.) 

No wonder that the loving Master admonished His 
disciples, concerning this great tribulation, and said, 
"Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may 
be accounted worthy to escape all these things that 
shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of 
man." (St. Luke xxi, 36.) This tribulation continues 
until Christ comes with His saints to rule and judge 
the world. 

There is a popular idea prevailing that the world 
is rapidly growing better ; that righteousness and god- 
liness is increasing, and will increase, until finally 
Christ shall come and reign upon earth. Believers in 
this popular idea ignore and overlook two things: 

First, they overlook the present condition of af- 
fairs. They appear to have never known or have for- 
gotten the fact that it becomes necessary each year 
to make additions to our jails, penitentiaries and 
almshouses, to accommodate prisoners and paupers. 
It is not supposed that innocent persons are pun- 
ished, but rather that guilty ones go free ; yet, in the 



Redemption Completed. 61 

face of all the crime, murder, suicide, robbery, drunk- 
enness, infanticide, backed up by an ever-enlarging 
number of saloons and houses of ill fame, in an open 
world and back of those curtains and screens where 
shameful records are being made, these arguments 
are set forth. Part of these records are known 
and are written upon earth, but perhaps the greater 
part of them are concealed from man, at least par- 
tially, and are written in heaven to be accounted 
for in the judgment. 0, the folly, inconsistency, 
and ignorance of people who will measure godliness 
and righteousness by discoveries and inventions, and 
cry "the world is getting better !" 

Sec6ndly, they ignore the Savior's teachings con- 
cerning the condition of the world at His coming. 
He said that the condition of the world, at His com- 
ing, should be as it was before the flood, when wick- 
edness had increased to such an extent that God, in 
mercy, in order to preserve righteousness on the face 
of the earth, had to destroy the antediluvians. "But 
as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of 
the Son of man be." (Matt, xxiv, 37.) Speaking of 
this time He also said: "And because iniquity shall 
abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matt, 
xxiv, 12.) Paul, writing to the Thessalonians con- 
cerning the coming of Christ, said : "That day shall 
not come except there be a falling away first." (2 
Thess. ii, 3.) Paul, exhorting Timothy concerning 
the last times, said : "But evil men and seducers shall 
wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." 



62 Redemption" Completed. 

(2 Tim. iii, 13.) With these unmistakable Scrip- 
tural evidences, with many others which point to His 
coming, it can readily be seen that it is folly to be- 
lieve that the world is at present growing better. 

Who would not judge from the signs of the times 
that the coming of the Lord is not far distant, when 
He shall come, or rather appear, to catch away His 
own ; to lift them out, or deliver them, from the great 
tribulation that is coming upon the earth? 

At the close of this great tribulation begins the 
millennium of which we write. Satan now being 
bound, Christ's judgments shall be sovereign upon the 
earth. He shall rule the nations. We are not able 
to speak with exactness as to just how far the earth, 
at this time, will be in the process of renovation. It 
may be on a fair headway, and even nearing its ulti- 
mate regeneration. It will be at this time that the 
words of the prophet shall be fulfilled : "And he shall 
judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many peo- 
ple: and they shall beat their swords into plow- 
shares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation 
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall 
learn war any more/' (Isa. ii, 4.) Another prophecy 
from the same inspired pen bears a close relation. 
He, with a prophetic eye, looks down through the 
successive ages, and sees the redeeming power of 
Christ taking hold of the entire creation, and beholds 
it being brought out from under the curse; nature 
again becomes more natural; even the wild beasts, 
which have been at enmity with each other, and de- 



Redemption Completed. 63 

vour not only each other, but men, women, and chil- 
dren, have shared in the effect brought about by the 
power of redemption, insomuch that they become 
harmless, and lie down together in peace, and a little 
child shall lead them. Note the prophecy: "And 
righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and 
faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also 
shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie 
down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion 
and the f atling together ; and a little child shall lead 
them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their 
young ones shall lie down together : and the lion shall 
eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall 
play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child 
shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. They shall 
not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for 
the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, 
as the waters cover the sea/' (Isa. xi, 5-9.) Here the 
prophet gives us an idea of the power and effect of 
redemption upon the animal kingdom. There should 
be no doubt in any mind but that when God created 
the animals, and gave man lordship over them, that 
thev were tame and harmless. In the fall of Adam 
the whole creation was involved in the downfall, and 
brought under the curse. In the animal kingdom the 
spirit of hatred and destruction entered, causing one 
species to destroy one another and man. 

According to the Scriptural account, in the crea- 
tion God gave man dominion over the fish of the sea, 
and the fowls of the air, the cattle and every creeping 



64 Redemption Completed. 

thing, and over all the earth. (Gen. i, 26.) He even 
conferred upon Adam the honor of the privilege of 
naming them. (Gen. ii, 19.) In obedience to the 
Creator, man would have enjoyed this dominion for- 
ever. 

It has already been noted that in the fall a re- 
markable change took place in the relation of the 
animals to man and to each other. Man has lost, in 
a great measure, his dominion over the animal king- 
dom. But it is clearly set forth in the Word that, at 
this time, which is the millennial period, at which 
time the earth will be nearing its final redemption, 
another change will have been made in the relation 
of the animals to each other and to man, making 
them of the disposition which they were before 
brought under the curse. This change is set forth 
in the foregoing picture given by Isaiah. It should 
be noticed that in his description each animal is 
coupled with that one which is its natural prey: the 
wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the kid, the calf 
and the lion, etc. The lion no longer eats flesh and 
blood, but straw, like an ox. All animals which have 
been carnivorous then become herbivorous. The 
poison must be extracted from the serpent's fang, 
and the cockatrice, the fabulous serpent, more venom- 
ous than the asp, and whose breath itself is poison- 
ous, becomes harmless. This is to man, through the 
person of Jesus Christ, the Son of man, restoration 
to the lost dominion over the animal kingdom. 

While it is true that Satan is at present the god of 



Redemption Completed. 65 

this world (2 Cor. iv, 4), and sways scepters and 
rules kingdoms, it will not be long until the angel 
which John saw in his vision of the great coming 
crisis of the world, being the seventh angel, shall 
sound, and great voices in heaven will be heard to 
say, "The kingdoms of this world are become the 
kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He 
shall reign for ever and ever." 

Not only shall the earth abide forever, and the 
saints inherit it, and dwell in it forever, but they 
shall share in the administrations of it. Jesus said 
unto His disciples, "Verily I say unto you, that ye 
which have followed me, in the regeneration when 
the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, 
ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the 
twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt, xix, 28.) Here is a 
remarkable change in the world's history. The great 
world powers at present number about twelve. How 
convenient for the twelve apostles to mount the twelve 
thrones and wield scepters of righteous judgment. 
Evidently the apostles, who have been hated, perse- 
cuted, and martyred, will be promoted to the king- 
doms of the world, when wicked rule will be put 
down and the earth will pass through the regenera- 
tion. 

Daniel prophesies that "the saints of the most High 
shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom for- 
ever, even for ever and ever." (Dan. vii, 18.) He also 
says that "judgment shall be given to the saints." 
(Dan. vii, 22.) Furthermore, we quote from his proph- 
5 



66 Redemption Completed. 

ecy the following strong declaration : "And the king- 
dom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom 
under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people 
of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an 
everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve 
and obey him." (Dan. vii, 27.) 

We are also informed by St. Paul that "the saints 
shall judge the world." (1 Cor. vi, 2.) 0, the won- 
derful change which will be brought about in behalf 
of God's true saints ! Present condition of affairs will 
be reversed. Eighteousness and holiness shall tri- 
umph at last, even for ever and ever, and the saints 
shall reign. 

Once it was the lot of the Christians to be fed to 
the lions in the coliseum, to lay across Nero's be- 
heading block, to be burned at the stake, to be tor- 
tured, to be mocked and scourged, to be stoned and 
sawn asunder; they wandered about in sheepskins 
and goatskins, and made their homes in dens and 
caves of the earth. But all this will be changed; the 
wicked oppressors will be destroyed, and the kingdom 
shall be given unto those to whom Christ promised it, 
even "the meek." 

Once it was the fate of God's people to be judged 
by the ungodly world powers. Jesus told His disci- 
ples that they should be brought before councils, gov- 
ernors and kings, and that men would, judge them 
worthy of stripes, imprisonment, and death. So Paul 
stood before the courts of earth, saying, "I stand and 



Redemption Completed. 67 

am judged." But the world powers are limited, and 
then comes another state of affairs, when God shall 
put down the mighty from their seats and exalt them 
of low degree. "Then the Pauls will become the 
royal judges, and the Felixes and Festuses and Agrip- 
pas and Caesars shall be compelled to accept the sen- 
tences of heavenly justice from God's immortal po- 
tentates, who once stood helpless at earth's tribunals, 
for it is written, the saints shall judge the world."* 

What a remarkable change will be introduced into 
the world's history by the millennium. Instead of 
the broken-up, aristocratic, democratic, monarchical 
and republican forms of governments, the earth will 
be covered with a pure theocracy. Under this right- 
eous rule havoc will be made of the present sinful 
condition of affairs. Every evil work will be de- 
stroyed, and righteousness and justice will prevail 
in every business, profession and occupation. 

It is also written, "the saints shall judge angels." 
(1 Cor. vi, 3.) These, of course, are fallen angels, 
who sinned, of which we read in Jude 6, and 2 
Peter ii, 4: Angels who kept not their first estate, 
but left their own habitation, and are reserved in 
everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment 
of the great day. Wonderful, indeed ! Eedeemed 
men promoted to the royal dignity of judging men 
and angels ! 

It has been seen from the foregoing prophecies 

*Seiss in "Lectures on Apocalypse." 



68 Redemption Completed. 

that the moral and political condition of the world 
will have been vastly improved at this time. But this 
is not all: man's physical condition will also have 
been greatly improved; human life will have been 
lengthened. Isaiah prophesies, concerning this time, 
and says : "There shall be no more thence an infant 
of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days : 
for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the 
sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 
And they shall build houses and inhabit them, and 
they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. 
They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall 
not plant and another eat : for as the days of a tree 
are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long 
enjoy the work of their hands/' (Isa. lxv, 20-22.) 
This prophecy declares that, in this better age to 
come, the physical condition of man will be far supe- 
rior to that of the present. A person dying at the age 
of a hundred years shall be considered a mere child, 
and the sinner dying at that age, which at that time 
shall be considered a short life, shall be deemed ac- 
cursed, and his death shall be accounted as a special 
visitation of the wrath of God upon him. God has 
here declared through the prophet that at this time 
the days of His people shall be as the days of a tree. 
T^ees are among the most long-lived objects of na- 
ture, some species standing for many centuries. 
Hence, when the life of man will last as long as the 
trees which they plant, his physical condition will 



Redemption Completed. 69 

have been greatly improved. This is, however, not 
the perfect state, for, according to the prophecy, both 
sin and death still exist, but occur much less fre- 
quently than now. It is not the eternal state, as not 
only sin and death occur, but the marriage relation, 
resulting in the birth of children, apparently still ex- 
ists, which will have ceased in the eternal state, or in 
the "world to come." (St. Luke xx, 35.) 

These prophecies have beautifully and clearly set 
forth the fact that the millennium shall introduce 
for the human family a far better state of affairs. 
The moral, political, and physical condition of the 
world will have been wondrously improved. While 
these conditions will not have been perfected at this 
time, only a great step having been made toward it, 
they must wait the fullness of time, when the hand 
of complete redemption shall be put forth, and every 
condition shall be perfected for the eternal state. 

The closing of the millennial period will not be the 
ending of the blessedness which it introduces, and 
will not be the close of the administration which has 
been begun. Men will not cease to live upon the 
earth, neither to possess and reign in it. Almost 
every writer, whether prophet or apostle, emphasizes 
that this blessed state is an everlasting one, for ever 
and ever. That which separates it from the final and 
complete renewal of the earth is the letting loose of 
Satan for a little season; his last attempt to destroy 
the Lord's kingdom, resulting in his consignment to 



70 Redemption Completed. 

the bottomless pit forever; the resurrection of the 
wicked dead who come forth to meet their judgment, 
punishment, and doom; and that touch which the 
Creator sees necessary to complete His work, making 
all things new; a renewed earth; man's Paradise, 
whose beauty and splendor and blessedness was never 
eclipsed by an Unf alien Eden. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Man's Inheritance Restored. 

IT has been already noted how that God gave to 
man the earth as his possession and kingdom, 
making him lord over the entire creation. Through 
the cunning device of Satan man was deceived, was 
persuaded to disobey God, and, as a consequence of 
disobedience, lost his possession and kingdom. There 
remains, however, not ofily a possibility, but a grand 
certainty, that the righteous shall yet, through the 
redemption of Christ, repossess the earth and exer- 
cise authority in it. Eedemption through Christ must 
necessarily restore to man everything which was lost 
in the fall. Wickedness, instead of righteousness, is 
covering the earth. 0, the present condition of the 
world because of sin: bloodshed, manslaughter, can- 
nibalism, robbery, deceptions and rascalities every- 
where ! But when redemption touches the earth and 
destroys sin, it will be fitted for the highest order of 
human beings, and be restored to the legal owners, 
the redeemed of the Lord. Then the false titles of 
the usurpers, who claim possession and hold sway, 
shall be destroyed forever. 

Although the possession has been signed away by 

71 



72 Redemption Completed. 

the first owners, who had no power to purchase it 
back, Christ has purchosed it with His own blood, 
and will completely redeem it for His own. (Eph. , 
i, 14.) Only by this revelation of God's Word can we 
understand fully what Jesus meant when He uttered 
the beautiful words, "Blessed are the meek for they 
shall inherit the earth." (Matt, v, 5.) This promise, 
made by Christ, has never been fulfilled since He gave 
it, and is surely not fulfilled in this present evil age, 
for the meek possess comparatively a very small por- 
tion of the earth. It can only be fulfilled when il- 
legal owners are driven from it, and the estate falls 
into the hands of the legal heirs, "the meek." 

The psalmist, who wrote centuries before Christ 
came to earth and taught, advanced the same teach- 
ings concerning the inheritance of the saints that 
Christ taught in his Sermon on the Mount. He says : 
"The meek shall inherit the earth ; and delight them- 
selves in the abundance of peace." (Psalms xxxvii, 
11.) Both Christ and the psalmist plainly and unmis- 
takably declare that the earth is the inheritance of 
the meek. Just a little farther on, in the eighteenth 
verse, the psalmist gives the length of time which the 
inheritance shall cover, and says, "The Lord knoweth 
the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall 
be forever." He does not simply state that the earth 
shall be the inheritance of the meek, and then leave it 
for man to conjecture as to its meaning, and as to 
how long the inheritance will last, but he emphatic- 
ally states "it shall be forever." In verse 



Redemption Completed. 73 

twenty-nine of the same chapter the psalmist re- 
peats his statement : "The righteous shall inherit the 
land and dwell therein forever." The prophet Isaiah 
also writes by inspiration : "Thy people also shall be 
all righteous : they shall inherit the land forever." 
(Isa. lx, 21.) These scriptures prove two things : First, 
that the earth shall not cease to exist, but shall con- 
tinue forever. In this connection the reader may 
have observed that some of them have already been 
quoted. Second, they prove that the earth is the 
legal inheritance of the meek forever. The earth 
was never created as a kingdom for Satan and his 
subjects, but has become as such in a great measure; 
to the extent that when the Son of God himself, who 
created all things (St. John i, 3), walked upon the 
earth, although He was Lord of all, yet He realized, 
perhaps as none other ever realized, this fact: that 
Satan has set up his kingdom upon earth. Just be- 
fore His crucifixion, as He was approaching His 
lonely hours, He said unto His disciples : "Hereafter 
I will not talk much with you : for the prince of this 
world cometh and hath nothing in me." While Jesus 
well understood and confessed this fact, there was 
another great fact which He well knew, and taught 
His disciples, and that was, that the prince of this 
world should be cast out. At one time He was con- 
versing with the Father about the great work of re- 
demption, and a voice spake from heaven, and the 
people who stood by heard it. Some said that it 
thundered, others said an angel spake unto Him. 



74 Redemption" Completed. 

Jesus then said unto them, "This voice came not be- 
cause of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judg- 
ment of this world : now shall the prince of this world 
be cast out." (St, John xii, 30, 31.) 

The earth was not created for the prince of dark- 
ness and wicked men, and the Father will not leave 
it in their possession, but shall drive out the prince 
of darkness and his followers, and restore it to those 
for whom it was created, and to whom it was given: 
His likenesses — once His created likenesses, now His 
redeemed likenesses. 

It is a fact, to which all must agree, that Satan is 
the Prince of this world and controls it at present. 
Even the reins of the governments are in his hands 
and those of his subjects. Wicked men and op- 
pressors are exalted and prosper in this evil age. 
Truth and right are crushed. Sin and wrong pre- 
vail. Christian men and Christian doctrines are 
denounced and despised, but according to His pur- 
pose in redemption, Christ will exterminate injus- 
tice, falsehood, and crime ; set in order the disorders, 
destroy the oppressors, and appoint to Satan and his 
followers their portion in the lake of fire, and restore 
to man his lost possessions, placing him back into his 
heritage, and give to him the reign of universal peace, 
which has been unknown since the fall of Eden, and 
man shall be returned to that paradise from which he 
has been in exile for six thousand years. 

If redemption means to recover, to regain lost pos- 
sessions, or to purchase back, which it does, it must 



Redemption Completed. 75 

be held as essential that complete redemption fin- 
ishes this work. 

However unreal and mystifying our ideas of the 
futurity of the saints have been, a proper solution of 
the problem of redemption will, in a measure at 
least, lift the curtain and dissipate the mist over- 
hanging the future. 

0, the vague, dim, and unfixed ideas most people 
have of heaven ! A certain writer says : "Most peo- 
ple think of it as having no substance, no reality, for 
the soul to take hold upon; as nothing but a world 
of shadows, of mist, of dim visions of blessedness, 
with which it is impossible for a being who is not 
mere spirit, who knows only to live in a body, and 
shall live forever in a body, to feel any fellowship or 
sympathy. No wonder that professed believers of our 
day are anxious to put off getting into heaven they 
believe in as long as the doctor's skill can keep them 
out of it, and finally agree to go only as a last de- 
spairing resort/' 

Could each reader realize the fact, already men- 
tioned in a preceding chapter, that matter does not 
mean sin, and that material is in harmony with God's 
purpose, that a material universe existed before the 
fall, and that it will continue to exist after redemp- 
tion is complete, ideas of the future world would be 
wonderfully changed. 

Says a great Scottish preacher : "There is much of 
the innocent, and much of the inspiring, and much 
to affect and elevate the heart, in the scenes and con- 



76 Redemption Completed. 

templations of materiality; and we do hail the infor- 
mation that, after the loosing of the present frame- 
work, it will again be varied and decked out anew in 
all the graces of its unfading verdure, and of its Tin- 
bounded variety; that in addition to our direct per- 
sonal view of the Deity, when He comes down to 
tabernacle with men, we shall also have the reflection 
of Him in a lovely mirror of His own workmanship, 
and that, instead of being transported to some abode 
of dimness and mystery, so remote from human expe- 
rience as to be beyond all comprehension, we shall 
walk forever in a land replenished with those sensible 
delights, and those sensible glories, which, we doubt 
not, will lie most profusely scattered over the c new 
heavens and new earth/ We are now walking on a 
terrestrial surface, not more compact, perhaps, than 
the one we shall hereafter walk upon; and are now 
wearing terrestrial bodies, not firmer and more solid, 
perhaps, than those we shall hereafter wear. It is not 
by working any change upon them that we could 
realize, to any extent, our future heaven. The spir- 
ituality of our future state lies not in the kind of sub- 
stance which is to compose its framework, but in the 
character of those who people it. There will be a 
firm earth, as we have at present, and a heaven 
stretched over it, as we have at present ; and it is not 
by the absence of these, but by the absence of sin, 
that the abodes of immortality will be characterized." 
— Chalmers. 

We then justly hold that, regardless of present af- 



Redemption Completed. 77 

fairs, and of intervening years, during which the 
Creator shall execute His will and judgments, dur- 
ing which His redeemed ones shall be with Him in 
Paradise, or assisting Him in His execution of right- 
eous rule and judgments upon the earth, yet, in His 
own due time, the plan of redemption will be per- 
fectly executed and finished, and man will be restored 
to his inheritance, which was forfeited in the fall, 
but which was purchased back by the redemption of 
Christ. 

"The meek shall inherit the earth." It was given 
to them by the Father. It was lost by them in the 
fall. By the Son it is purchased Lack, and bequeathed 
to them for an everlasting kingdom. They shall pos- 
sess it and dwell in it forever. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Blessedness of the Eternal World. 

r T PON the above suggested theme volumes might 
\^J be written; much which would be soul-cheer- 
ing and inspiring. A view of the earliest history of 
man reveals our foreparents in Eden with pure na- 
tures, holy dispositions, endless enjoyments, and 
sacred privileges; with possibilities almost inconceiv- 
able to the human mind. Had they sustained their 
relationship to God, and remained obedient to their 
Creator, not allowing themselves to be overcome by 
Satan, which resulted in the fall of man, with its ac- 
companying disastrous effects, this world would 
surely have been a grand place in which to live. Man 
would have ceaselessly enjoyed the privilege of con- 
versing face to face with his Creator; would never 
have known disappointment; would never have been 
crushed by unkind words nor cruel treatment; would 
never have suffered a pain of body or a mental agony ; 
nor have been broken-hearted over the death of a 
loved one; would never have had to look forward to 
a time of dissolution, nor never have come in con- 
tact with sin in its thousands of varied forms and ef- 
fects. 

Inasmuch as it is impossible to describe the blessed 
condition of affairs as then existed in Eden, and 

78 



Redemption Completed. 79 

would have continued to exist had it not been for the 
intervention of sin, so it is almost impossible to pic- 
ture with words the present awful condition of the 
world. Likewise it is not unreasonable to believe 
that not only mortal tongue would utterly fail to 
describe, but, doubtless, the vocabulary of angels 
would be exhausted to describe the blessed condition 
of the eternal world, when the last battle is fought 
against sin, and the last victory eternally won for re- 
demption. Suffice it to say that man's condition is 
reversed, and is, at present, almost the opposite of 
what it would have been had sin not entered into the 
world. 

The blessedness of the Eden world has gone into 
eclipse, and 0, the darkness prevailing in human 
hearts ! It is only by the glorious light of the gospel 
of redemption that the darkness of this apostasy has 
been penetrated. It is this which has radiated light 
and kindled hope in many bosoms. One can scarcely 
conceive of the universal darkness which would cover 
the earth and possess hearts, if man could possibly 
exist, had not the Sun of righteousness arisen with 
healing in His wings. 

We might speak of the heathenism of the Soudan 
of Africa, of the cannabalism of the Fiji Islands, or 
of the superstition of the Hindoos, who, in their ig- 
norance, feed their little innocent babes to the croco- 
diles of the Ganges Kiver, which they hold as sacred, 
to appease, as they suppose, the wrath of their angry 
god. These are dark pictures indeed, but to say that 



80 Redemption Completed. 

these conditions would universally prevail, were it 
not for the light of redemption, is but a dim picture, 
or a very moderate estimate of the universal effects 
of sin. 

Regardless of the combined efforts of righteous- 
ness, sin, with its awful effects, is visible everywhere ; 
and it is almost beyond the reach of the finite mind 
to imagine the condition of the world, if from it were 
subtracted every Christian influence, every Church, 
every Sabbath school, every prayer and every Bible. 

The gospel of redemption is positively the forerun- 
ner of all civilization; and wherever the Bible goes, 
with its glorious tidings, civilization is sure to follow 
in its wake. 

It is this glorious revelation which has cheered 
every heart who has ever known a cheer; which in- 
spires every believer with the glorious victory which 
has already been achieved over the powers of dark- 
ness, and which will eventually terminate in the resti- 
tution of all things. It is that which kindles hope 
in every believing heart, fans its zeal into a glow, 
makes burdens light and sorrows and disappointments 
tolerable, and gives assurance of an eternal happy fu- 
ture. 

There will surely be a wonderful contrast between 
the present condition of affairs and those of the fu- 
ture. This description twice beggars the vocabulary 
of men and angels. In the present age, courts are 
necessary to settle murder cases, divorce cases, cases 
of theft, cases of assault and battery, boundary-line 



Redemption Completed. 81 

troubles, questions of titles and ownership, and a 
thousand similar troubles ; judges to sentence men to 
the penitentiary, the gallows, the electric chair, or to 
set them at liberty. Physicians are fathoming the 
depths of medical science, attempting in vain to find 
the elixir of life. Colleges are busy educating men 
for the practice of law and medicine. Our land is 
cursed with breweries and distilleries which manufac- 
ture the poisonous stuff called whisky, beer, etc., 
which is dealt out to men, women and children in 
hell holes on earth, called saloons, bars, etc. This 
great traffic is a scheme of hell, invented to populate 
the regions of the lost. It is sending home drunken 
husbands and sons to crush the hearts of wives and 
mothers. It is taking the clothing from the bodies, 
the shoes from the feet, and the bread from the 
mouths of thousands of children in our land. It is 
robbing thousands of homes of the fuel for the fire- 
place, of clothing for the bodies, and food for the cup- 
boards; of kind words, love, happiness and joy, and 
in place of these things, which make home worthy of 
its name, it gives nakedness, want, cold, hunger, 
cursings, sorrow, and anguish. It is breaking up 
homes, blasting hopes, crushing hearts, blighting 
prospects, and sending, annually, one hundred thou- 
sand men, women and children to untimely graves in 
this land of ours. 

To add to this awful picture, it may be observed 
that this abominable curse is upheld and supported 
by ninety-seven per cent of Christian men (?) who 
6 



82 Redemption Completed. 

are sovereign voters of our land. More than this, to 
say nothing of the Sabbath desecration, the dance, 
the card party, the billiard halls, the pool rooms, the 
ball rooms, the theater, there are thousands of houses 
of open proititution, where young men and women 
are tempted to lives of lust and shame; and where 
men and women — once men and women, now scarcely 
worthy of these modest titles, but who can almost be 
called human devils — live in lust and crime, fre- 
quently becoming prey to a foul disease which lands 
their bodies in a premature grave and their souls in 
a burning hell. 

The great prevailing crime of infanticide, which 
is even practiced by thousands of professed Chris- 
tians, murdering their own offspring — this is the 
crime of which a certain writer wrote, calling it the 
"crowning sin of the age." He states that ten thou- 
sand infants were taken out of the sewers of the city 
of Paris in one year. This is but a faint picture and 
a greatly abridged description of the dreadful condi- 
tion of the affairs of the present ; but all this will be 
changed. When the present condition of affairs will 
be exchanged for the new, when the future will be- 
come the present, and the stream of time will have 
emptied its volume into the boundless ocean of eter- 
nity, all will be changed. 

There will be no more courts to settle murder cases, 
divorce cases, and the like, for there will be no such 
cases ; no more need for practitioners of the civil law, 
for all will be governed by the moral law of heaven, 



Redemption Completed. 83 

which is not written in volumes, but in the hearts of 
its subjects, and is not kept for dread of punishment, 
but by a service of divine love; no more physicians, 
searching in vain for a life-saving remedy, for all 
such problems will have been eternally solved by the 
resurrection and translation; no more breweries or 
distilleries to manufacture poison, or hell holes to 
dish it out to men; for all who have engaged in such 
traffic, or who have supported it, excepting those who 
have repented, will have been cast, with Satan, who 
is the promoter of this traffic, as well as all other 
evils, into the bottomless pit. No houses of prosti- 
tution in the redeemed world. All such are the prop- 
erty of hell, owned by Satan, and will have been re- 
moved hence. 

Much more might be said, but whatever other 
changes may take place, and conditions exist, it is not 
speculation to state that these are among the many 
changes which completed redemption will bring, mak- 
ing earth, the Paradise once lost, the Paradise re- 
gained. ■ I I 

Thanks be to our God, the present state of affairs 
will soon be called to a halt, and the power of Satan 
will be cut off, and his works shall be destroyed, and 
redemption will touch the earth, driving from it 
every devil and evil spirit and evil influence, making 
it equal, in purity, and beauty, and loveliness, in every 
way, to what it was when untouched by sin, and the 
Creator pronounced everything "good." 

Sometimes we are made to wonder, when in deep 



84: Redemption Completed. 

contemplation on this subject, if God will not, in 
order to manifest His power and wisdom, when He 
retouches the earth in redemption, give to it more 
beauty and splendor and loveliness than it ever pos- 
sessed before sin came, exhibiting to men and devils 
and angels His omnipotence. 

All that has been lost in the fall is restored in re- 
demption, insomuch that the earth is restored to its 
original state, and is again annexed to heaven, and 
becomes the possession, estate, and happy dwelling 
place of the redeemed forever. 

The enjoyments of the glorified, who shall inhabit 
the redeemed earth, will be equally as great as man 
could have possibly enjoyed had Satan not inter- 
rupted. The change which will take place when the 
earth is renovated and made new, and becomes the 
habitation of the redeemed, is beautifully told by St. 
John, who heard a voice out of heaven speaking. 
(Eev. xx, 4.) Among the things that the voice said 
were these. Speaking of the inhabitants of new earth, 
it said: "God shall wipe away all tears from their 
eyes." 0, the tears of misfortune and poverty, af- 
fection and sympathy; tears shed because of disap- 
pointment, and neglect, and suffering, which force 
themselves from the eyes and find their way down 
the cheeks of mortals ! All of these tears shall be 
dried by the hand of a loving Father, who, with the 
Son, alone understands the sorrows of the heart, and 
can wipe them away forever. The voice said, "There 
shall be no more death." Death, who has ridden his 



Redemption Completed. 85 

pale horse into all zones and climates, to every conti- 
nent and every island of the sea, found its way to 
every mountain and valley and plain, visited every 
nation, and people of all colors and classes and occu- 
pations, shall be destroyed. Where is there a fireside 
without an empty chair, or a table without a vacant 
place, because of death? Where is there a gilded 
palace or a humble cottage where it does not find its 
way, and, without respect to age, honors or wealth, 
claim its victims ? Visit the silent cities of the dead, 
read the epitaphs, count the gravestones, realize with 
the poet that "all that tread the globe are but a hand- 
ful to the tribe that slumbers in its bosom." See the 
dreaded hearse leading a long funeral procession ; see 
the workman digging the grave; see the crape hang- 
ing from the door; pick up the newspaper and read 
the obituaries; hear the death knell tolling from the 
high church-tower; these are common, every-day oc- 
currences. Medical colleges are busy at work educat- 
ing physicians. Laboratories, with their scores of 
laborers, are busily engaged in preparing remedies. 
Doctors are driving at greatest speed to reach the 
dying patient. Loved ones are soothing aching, 
fevered brows. Man makes a desperate effort to live, 
but all in vain. It is only the question of a little 
while until dissolution comes, baffling the skill of 
physicians, the love of dear ones, and the wealth of 
Wall street. But when regeneration touches the 
earth, and it becomes new, all of these things will 
have been left behind and forgotten. Every enemy 



86 Redemption Completed. 

of mankind will be destroyed. Death itself, the last 
enemy of man, will be destroyed forever. (1 Cor. 
xv, 26.) 

"Neither sorrow nor crying." There is no position 
or occupation in life exempt from sorrows. They 
seem to lie concealed in man's pathway, and he treads 
upon them. Young and old, rich and poor, high and 
low, learned and ignorant, are all more or less ac- 
quainted with sorrow. But sorrow has its limit, and 
can not go beyond. It belongs to the present condi- 
tion of affairs, and can not cross into the new. 

"No crying." Says a certain writer: "Man comes 
into the world with a cry and goes out of it with a 
groan, and all between is more or less intoned with 
helpless wailing." But in the renewed earth sorrow 
can not enter, and no crying will ever be heard. 

"No more pain." Many are the ills, aches and pains 
to which mortals of this present world are subjected, 
but to the glorified inhabitants of that world pain 
will be unknown, only as they may have recollections 
of sufferings undergone and pain experienced before 
their redemption was complete. 

The exchange of this present evil world for the 
beautiful, blessed, eternal one described, will be a 
grand exchange for the Lord's redeemed. A world 
full of sickness, disappointments, pains, heartaches, 
sorrows, tears and crying, exchanged for a world in 
which tears are never shed, no pains are ever felt, no 
crying is ever heard, no disappointments are ever 
known; where death can not enter, where no parting 



Redemption Completed. 87 

scenes are ever witnessed, and no good-byes are ever 
said, for in the vocabulary of that heavenly world no 
such words will ever be found. 

After giving this wonderful description of the 
grandeur and glory of the earth regenerated, or made 
new, He that sat upon the throne said: "Behold I 
make all things new. Write : these words are true and 
faithful. . . . He that overcometh shall inherit 
all things ; and I will be his God and he shall be my 
son." 

This theme could be concluded in no better way 
than to give Dr. Seiss's picture of the new earth, in 
contrast to the present world. This picture will be 
given here as a summary of this chapter, for surely it 
could not be painted more beautifully. He says: 

"The earth now is full of ailments and disorders, 
and in deep captivity to corruption; yet it has much 
attractiveness. Most men would prefer to live in it 
forever, if they could. Ah ! this homestead of our 
fathers for so many generations, carpeted with green 
and flowers, waving with pleasant harvests and shady 
trees, girded with glorious mountains, gushing with 
water springs, gladdened with laughing brooks, rib- 
boned with rivers that wind in beauty about the 
rocky promontories, varied with endless hills and val- 
leys, and girthed about with the crystal girdle of the 
ruffled seas; these numerous zones and continents 
and islands, these youthful springtimes, bursting out 
with myriad life under all their dewy steps; these 
blazing summer glories, these gorgeous, mellow au- 



88 Redemption* Completed. 

tumns, these winters with their snowy vestments and 
glazed streams, and glowing firesides, and living na- 
ture in its ten thousand forms, singing and dancing 
and shouting and frisking and rejoicing all around 
us. What pictures and memories and histories and 
legends and experiences have we here, to warm our 
hearts and stir our souls, and wake our tongues, and 
put fire and enthusiasm into our thoughts and words 
and deeds ! But this is only the old earth in its 
soiled and work-day garb, where the miseries of a 
deep, dark, and universal apostasy from God holds 
sway. Think, then, what its regeneration must bring ! 
— an earth which no longer smarts and smokes under 
the curse of sin; an earth which needs no more to 
be torn with hooks and irons to make it yield its 
fruits; an earth where thorns and thistles no longer 
infest the ground, nor serpents hiss among the flow- 
ers, nor savage beasts lay in ambush to devour; an 
earth whose sod is never cut with graves, whose soil 
is never moistened with tears, or saturated with hu- 
man blood, whose fields are never blasted with un- 
propitious seasons, whose atmosphere never gives 
wings to the seeds of plague and death, whose ways 
are never lined with funeral processions, or blocked 
up with armed men on their way to war; an earth 
whose hills ever flow with salvation, and whose val- 
leys know only the sweetness of Jehovah's smiles ; an 
earth from end to end, and from center to utmost 
verge, clothed with the eternal blessedness of Para- 
dise Kestored," 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Habitation of the Eenewed Earth. 

WHILE our minds and spirits are busy con- 
templating the wonders of God's arrange- 
ments, in the plan of redemption, and as we look out 
upon the field of investigation, another question con- 
fronts the inquirer, which we can not overlook at this 
time without being criticised as having purposely 
avoided it. This question is, concerning the future 
habitation of the earth. This is a subject, concerning 
which there is considerable controversy at present. 
While the Scriptures do not say very much upon the 
subject, it says sufficient, we believe, to make the mat- 
ter plain. 

The facts of this subject are, as all subjects relating 
to redemption, based upon the facts of the creation 
and the fall ; and it is only by a careful study of the 
creation and fall, in connection with the light that 
the Scriptures throw upon the subject, that we can 
find a satisfactory answer to the question. 

It has already been proven, beyond the possibility 
of a doubt, that the earth, renovated and renewed, 
shall be populated. This none can intelligently dis- 
pute. Should any one, as yet, be dissatisfied in their 
mind, concerning this subject, turn again and read 

89 



90 Redemption Completed. 

the first four verses of the twenty-first chapter of the 
Revelation, which describe the blessed condition of 
the inhabitants of the earth after all things have been 
made new, which will be sufficient to satisfy any can- 
did mind. 

The greatest point of controversy lies in the man- 
ner in which the earth shall be populated. The ques- 
tion is, How about the future propagation of the 
earth ; or, Shall children be born to the inhabitants of 
the renewed earth? Let us see. It is an established 
fact, that when God placed man and woman upon the 
earth He constituted them a self-propagating race, 
and at once gave to them, in their unf alien, holy state, 
the commission to be fruitful, to multiply and re- 
plenish the earth. (Gen. i, 28.) God had created the 
earth for man's home and possession and dominion, 
and desired that it should be filled with holy persons 
who, reflecting His image, would glorify their Cre- 
ator. God's plan for the populating of the earth, or 
the filling of it with such creatures, seems to have 
been that, after having created a holy couple, they 
should bare children; i. e., "replenish the earth. " 
Replenish means to fill. Not that this should be ac- 
complished by the one pair, but that they should raise 
children, and that, by successive generations, the 
earth should be filled. 

He gave even to the fish of the sea and the fowls of 
the air the privilege of propagating their kinds. If 
Satan had not succeeded in seducing man, resulting 
in the fall, which constituted man a rebel against 



Redemption Completed. 91 

God, wicked and deceitful, the human family would 
have propagated their kind; would have transmitted 
to them their pure and holy natures, and the earth 
would have been filled with pure and holy persons. 

It is held by some that this propagation of the 
race must necessarily go on in the renewed earth as 
it would have in this present world, if man had not 
fallen. We quote the following argument in favor of 
the future propagation of the earth from a learned 
divine of the present day: "Humanity was created 
and constituted a self -multiplying order of existence 
— a race — to which the earth was given as its theater, 
possession, and happy home. God created man in His 
own image; male and female created He them, and 
said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply and replen- 
ish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over 
it. When sin first touched man it found him thus 
constituted and domiciled. Had the spoliations of 
sin never disturbed him, humanity, as a race, must 
needs have run on forever, and been the happy pos- 
sessor of the earth forever. Anything else would be 
a contravention and nullification of the beneficent 
Creator's intent and constitution with regard to His 
creature, man. Meanwhile came the fall, through the 
serpent's malignity; and then a promise of redemp- 
tion bv the seed of the woman. If the nature of the 
fall was to destroy the existence of man, as a race, 
and dispossess him of his habitation and mastery of 
the earth, the nature and effect of the redemption 
must necessarily involve the restitution and perpetua- 



92 Redemption Completed. 

tion of the race, as such, and its rehabitation as the 
happy possessor of the earth; for if the redemption 
does not go as far as the consequences of sin, it is a 
misnomer, and fails to be redemption. 

"The salvation of any number of individuals, if the 
race is stopped and disinherited, is not the redemp- 
tion of what fell, but only the gathering up of a few 
splinters, whilst the primordial jewel is scattered and 
destroyed, and Satan's mischief goes farther than 
Christ's restoration. 

"I therefore hold it to be a necessary and integral 
part of the Scriptural doctrine of human redemption, 
that our race, as a self-multiplying order of beings, 
will never cease either to exist or to possess the 
earth." — Seiss. 

It is with reluctance that this author ventures an 
attempt to refute any argument produced by this 
master mind of the twentieth century. The ablest 
and wisest, however, are liable to err in point of 
reasoning. 

We have already agreed that man was created and 
constituted a self -multiplying order of existence; 
that as man was the happy possessor of the earth be- 
fore the fall, so shall he be when redemption is com- 
plete ; that the effect of redemption must go as far as 
the consequences of sin have gone ; and that anything 
short of this would fail to be redemption. 

But there is one fact which has been overlooked, 
which causes a weakness in the argument; and no 
chain of argument is stronger than its weakest link. 



Redemption Completed. 93 

It is self-evident that the nature of the fall was not 
such as to destroy the existence of man as a race, or 
to dispossess him of a self-multiplying order of ex- 
istence; for the race has been perpetuated, and man 
still possesses a self-multiplying order of existence. 
It can not be reasonably held as essential that redemp- 
tion must restore to man anything which sin did not 
take from him. It is clearly seen that it was not a 
posterity of which man was robbed, but the holiness 
of that posterity. It was not a body which man lost 
in the fall, but the immortality of that body; hence 
it must be concluded that redemption does not neces- 
sarily restore to man a posterity, but must restore to 
man and his posterity the holiness which was lost, 
also an immortality of body. 

From the time of the fall, conceptions have been 
multiplied, for God said to the woman, "I will greatly 

multiply thy sorrow and conceptions." (Gen. iii, 16.) 
This statement proves two things : 

First, that children would have been born if man 
had not fallen. Let us see : Taking the idea of those 
who hold that no conceptions would have taken place 
in the unf alien state and multiply by it : Nothing 
times nothing equals nothing; no conceptions times 
no conceptions equals no conceptions. Should the 
idea of no conceptions without the fall be correct, 
God could have multiplied those conceptions a thou- 
sand times in the fall, and the first pair would have 
died in a short time, and the earth would have been 
depopulated for nearly six thousand years. So it can 



94 Redemption Completed. 

readily be seen that it takes a sum of anything that, 
by multiplying it, produces an amount. 

Secondly, it proves that man was not dispossessed 
of the privilege of succeeding generations. 

God has marvelously manifested His great wisdom 
in multiplying the conceptions of the woman. It is 
true that, because of the fall, as a consequence of sin, 
He announces to the woman, "In sorrow thou shalt 
bring forth children." John Fletcher uses the pain- 
ful travail of women as one of the strongest evidences 
of the fall. But out of this very sorrow he brings a 
blessing. Notice, from the fall a new fact must be 
faced, and that fact is death, as a consequence of the 
fall. Here death appears as an enemy of God's plan 
and purpose. But God, in wisdom, increases the 
fruitfulness of the woman, making the increase by 
birth more than sufficient to equal the decrease by 
death, thus retaining for man, despite the fall, an 
abundantly self -propagating race. While none could 
state positively the Creator's mind in this matter, it 
might be presumed that, in wisdom, He increased 
the fruitfulness of the woman for still another pur- 
pose. The Creator purposing still, regardless of the 
fall, to populate the earth with His creatures, and 
knowing that it must now be accomplished through 
redemption, and that comparatively few who should 
be born into the world would accept of the righteous- 
ness of Christ, and be fully redeemed, in order to 
hasten the time when it should be accomplished, inj 
wisdom increased the fruitfulness of the woman. r 

I 



Redemption Completed. 95 

God's plan was to inhabit the earth with people who 
were His likenesses, through Adam and his wife, but 
man fails to measure up to the purpose of their crea- 
tion. Christ came for the express purpose of restor- 
ing that which was lost in Adam. Now, since a holy 
inhabiting of the earth was lost in Adam, it must be 
restored in Christ. Although man completely fails, 
out of his failure the Creator determines to redeem 
him. 

Now, to be plain and easily understood, let us see 
what was lost in Adam in this particular: First, 
Holiness of character was lost. Second, Immortality 
of body was lost. These two losses disqualified man 
for a holy and endless possession of the earth. One 
thing, however, which man was still permitted, was 
to retain a posterity; not a holy posterity, for their 
holiness was lost. Yet God will still carry out His 
purpose of having the earth populated with holy 
creatures. In redemption, Christ provides for both 
of these losses, but no need for a provision for the 
birth of children, for that was not lost, but for their 
holiness, that they may be restored to His likeness. 
See how beautifully He meets these two deficiencies 
of the human family: Those who, while living in 
this present world, accept the atonement, and, by a 
living faith, appropriate the blood of Christ to their 
pardon and cleansing from sin and pollution, are 
made holy, pure, and are restored to the likeness of 
their Creator in spiritual nature while in this present 
life. As yet, redemption is not complete in them, for, 



96 Redemption Completed. 

because of the curse brought by the fall, their bodies 
have become prey to dissolution and decay. But no- 
tice, Christ will yet meet the remaining deficiency of 
man. He does not allow the grave, dissolution, and 
decay to hold their prey, the body of man ; but in His 
own appointed time calls for it, and, in obedience to 
the call of Omnipotence, it comes forth, not any 
longer clothed with corruption, but incorruption ; not 
any longer as mortal, but as immortal; becomes re- 
united with its own soul, from which it has been sepa- 
rated because of dissolution, and is ready to take its 
place as a holy, immortal being in the earth, re- 
deemed and fitted for sinless man. Man is then no 
longer subject to pain, death or dissolution, but is 
fully redeemed. 

There is no reason to doubt but at that resurrec- 
tion there will be sufficient such, in connection with 
those who shall not see death, but shall be translated 
at the coming of Christ (1 Thess. iv, 17), to fill the 
earth, possess it, have dominion over it, and live in it 
for ever and ever. These are the redeemed who fill the 
earth as God's likenesses. Eedemption shall then win 
such a victory over the fall, that should an intelli- 
gence from another planet or world which had never 
fallen, and who had never heard of the apostasy of 
this fallen world, pay a visit to this earth, he could 
not find the slightest trace of sin or its effects, and 
would never, in the least, suspicion that sin had ever 
touched man or his dwelling place. 

From these foregoing facts we correctly draw the 



Redemption Completed. 97 



oonclusion that the race was not discontinued at the 
f all, but still continues ; that man has ever since pos- 
sessed a self -multiplying order of existence; that the 
holiness man received from God was lost in Adam, 
and that it must be restored to man in Christ; that 
the resurrection, which is that part of redemption 
which delivers the saints beyond the possibility of 
death, solves the problem of the restoration of man 
and the filling of the earth with holy creatures ; that 
that part of man's commission which he was unable 
to fill after the fall, is fulfilled in Christ, and that 
which was lost in the fall is restored in redemption. 

Furthermore, to insist upon the future propaga- 
tion of the earth would not be keeping in consistency 
with the teachings of Christ. 

At one time the Sadducees came to Him with a 
question which seemed to them would be very puz- 
zling to Him. They said: "Master, Moses wrote 
unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and 
he die without children, that his brother should take 
his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There 
were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a 
wife, and died without children. And the second took 
her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took 
her; and in like manner the seven also: and they 
left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died 
also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of 
them is she ? for seven had her to wife ? 

"And Jesus answering, said unto them, The chil- 
dren of this" (present) "world marry, and are given 
7 



98 Redemption Completed. 

in marriage: But they which shall be accounted 
worthy to obtain that world" (the one to come), "and 
the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor 
are given in marriage: Neither can they die any 
more : for they are equal unto the angels ; and are the 
children of God, being the children of the resurrec- 
tion" (St. Luke xx, 28-36) equal unto angels in 
point of immortality and in relation to each other. 

Marriage was ordained for the purpose of populat- 
ing the earth, and should things have continued as 
purposed by the Creator, it would have been only a 
reasonable length of time until, by successive genera- 
tions, the earth would have been filled with a holy, 
pure, and sinless people, as descendants of the holy 
pair. This is easily understood from the fact that 
births were to take place, and death was unknown. 
It would not be unreasonable to believe that, when 
God's purpose in the populating of the earth would 
have been finished, if it should have been in accord- 
ance with His will, propagation would have ceased. 

It should be remembered, in connection with this 
thought, that lust for the opposite sex has had its 
origin in the fall, and that in the pure, unf alien state 
the commission of being "fruitful" would have been 
executed as a pleasure, from the fact that it was the 
Creator's will ; not from sensual lust, but from pleas- 
ant duty. Now, granting this fact, and not judging 
from the present lustful condition of the world, it 
is not hard to believe that when the Creator's pur- 



Redemption Completed. 99 

pose in the populating of the earth was completed, 
multiplication would have ceased. 

Should any object to this teaching, and find diffi- 
culty in believing that the increase of the human fam- 
ily would have ceased when the earth would have 
been populated, and still are inclined to believe in the 
future propagation of the earth, be it known that they 
will meet the same difficulty. For, some time in the 
future state, if man should multiply his kind, births 
occurring constantly, and no deaths taking place, for 
no death can touch man in that state, some time in 
the course of ages man would have increased to such 
an extent that the earth would be overpopulated. 
Then one of a few things must necessarily take place : 
either multiplication must cease, God must enlarge 
the territory of the earth, or transport the increase of 
population to another planet or world. * Which would 
be most likely probable ? No task for the Great Cre- 
ator to accomplish either or all of these things, con- 
sequently it is not hard to believe that when the earth 
would have been filled with holy beings, propagation 
would have ceased. 

At the fall, marriage did not cease, neither did its 
purpose change. Although its full first intended re- 
sults are not immediately obtained, only partially, 
that part which was not lost in the fall, i. e., succeed- 
ing g^nprations, who shall find in Christ, in this pres- 
ent life, that part of redemption which restores to 
man his lost holiness, and await the resurrection 

>LcfC. 



100 Redemption Completed. 

through Christ, when redemption will be completed 
in them, and will fully restore that which was lost in 
the fall. 

Death, man's bitter enemy, continues at present to 
battle against the Creator's plan and purpose. So the 
struggle goes on, death against life. What shall be 
the outcome? A blessing will be brought out of the 
curse. The Creator will carry out His purpose de- 
spite the fiercest enemy. The resurrection is the 
achievement of the victor, giving man an immortal 
body, delivering those who are resurrected beyond the 
possibility of death, destroying death itself, which is 
man's last enemy that shall be destroyed. (1 Cor. xv, 
26.) 

It is only through Christ that man may attain to 
the resurrection, emphasizing the fact that as in Adam 
man was unfitted for a holy dwelling, in Christ he is 
fitted for it, and that which was lost in the fall is 
restored in redemption. Man having received a holy 
and pure spirit in this life, receiving an immortal 
body through the resurrection, comes forth to in- 
habit the earth, once defaced and marred, but which, 
through its redemption, is now fitted for man's high- 
est and eternal enjoyment. The earth then shall be 
filled with an eternal, endless, never-dying genera- 
tion. 

He who can not solve the problem of redemption 
without the future propagation of the earth, let the 
resurrection solve it for him; for it is the solution 
of the whole matter, and is all the parent necessary 



Redemption Completed. 101 

for the future population of the earth. How forceful 
and weighty the declaration of Christ, to whom the 
misty future is as clear and fully understood as the 
past or present, when He said : "They which shall be 
counted worthy to obtain that world and the resur- 
rection from the dead, can not die any more, for they 
are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, 
being the children of the resurrection." How beauti- 
fully consistent, then, this teaching with the teachings 
of Jesus : "Neither are they given in marriage." Not 
given in marriage, because there is no purpose for it ; 
no need of it for the filling of the earth or the per- 
petuating of the race; no need of filling the earth, 
for it is already populated by the "children of the 
resurrection;" no need of successive generations to 
perpetuate the race, for it is already perpetuated by 
a never-ending life. "Neither can they die any more." 
In other words, we quote from Jamieson, Fausset 
and Brown : "Marriage is ordained to perpetuate the 
human family, but as there will be no breaches, by 
death, in the future state, this ordinance will cease." 



CHAPTER IX. 

Redemption of Man. 

THE foregoing chapters have set forth the effect 
and consequence of the fall upon the earth and 
the body of man, and the power of redemption to re- 
store them; but that which may more intensely in- 
terest our readers, is the effect of sin upon man him- 
self, and the work of redemption to restore him. 

Here, again, it is necessary to take a glimpse at 
the creation and the fall of man, for the facts of the 
redemption of man himself are based upon the crea- 
tion and fall, equally as much as the facts of the work 
of redemption upon the earth and the body of man. 

God created man in His own image and breathed 
into him, and man became a "living soul." That part 
of man which constituted him a living soul was that 
which the Creator imparted to him from himself. 
God being holy, He could impart nothing but holi- 
ness. Hence, all must agree that man was created 
holy — was a holy creation. This being true, it was 
a state of holiness in which man lived before he fell; 
consequently, it was from a state of holiness which he 
fell. That man enjoyed communion with God is evi- 
dent. That he was pleasing to his Creator is beyond 

102 



Redemption Completed. 103 

controversy, for the Creator pronounced his work 
"good" and "very good." 

Apparently, the Father was determined to provide 
everything for man's highest enjoyment; for, after 
having prepared for him every luxury, and having 
surrounded him with an endless variety of beautiful 
things and harmless creatures, God saw that it was 
not good for him to be alone, so He provided for him 
a companion. What more could he have wished for 
or asked? 

How beautiful the picture paints itself before the 
observing one, as he beholds God's own, who had par- 
taken of His holiness, living under His smiles and 
in His highest favor, free from pain or suffering, and 
without a worry or burden to bear. God endowed 
man with intelligence, lifting him higher, and mak- 
ing him far superior to any other creature of His 
creation. He did not create man absolutely immut- 
able and perfect like Himself, but endued him with 
a free agency, or freedom of choice. He also gave 
him a restriction, but provided him with sufficient 
strength to be obedient. He forbade man to sin upon 
the penalty of death; but Satan, God's enemy, came 
and deceived man, and he fell. By man's disobedi- 
ence, and the sin which he committed, he forfeited 
his holiness, and when God came to converse with him, 
he hid himself in fear and shame. He lost his pur- 
ity, his communion and innocency, and was driven 
out, condemned, fallen and ruined. 

Without questioning the omniscience of God, we 



104 Redemption Completed. 

do not believe, with some, that He predestinated the 
fall of man, or intended that it should be so ; for He 
was, in a great measure, disappointed with him. 
When He saw man in his sinful, fallen state, says the 
Word, "It repented the Lord that he had made man 
and it grieved him at his heart." (Gen. .vi, 6.) 

That man became polluted and sinful is proven be- 
yond a dispute or doubt. That this pollution was 
transmitted to the succeeding generation is evidenced 
by the fact that the eldest son, the firstborn of the 
once happy and holy pair, became a murderer, and 
slew his own brother. To prove that man is still 
naturally depraved, polluted and sinful, it is only 
necessarv for each one to look into his own nature 
and investigate himself. But before we go into this 
investigation, we want to inquire God's opinion of 
man ; for He can see man as man can not see himself, 
except by the light of Heaven. 

In connection with the fact that God's history 
of man indicates that he is, in himself, a complete 
failure, from the fall in Eden, inspiration speaks 
thus of him. Jeremiah says of man: "The heart is 
deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: 
who can know it. ( Jer. xvii, 9.) Isaiah adds his tes- 
timony : "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have 
turned every one to his own way." (Isa. liii, 6.) The 
psalmist also declares : "The Lord looked down from 
heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were 
anv that did understand, and seek God. They are all 
gone aside, they are all together become filthy ; there 



Redemption Completed. 105 

is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Psalms xiv, 
2, 3.) The Hebrew reads: "They are all together 
become stinking." 

Paul, who lived hundreds of years after these tes- 
timonies concerning man were given, observes that he 
is still the same sinful creature : "For we have before 
proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under 
sin. As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not 
one. There is none that under standeth, there is none 
that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the 
way, they are together become unprofitable: there is 
none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is 
an open sepulcher ; with their tongues they have used 
deceit ; the poison of asps is under their lips : Whose 
mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet 
are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are 
in their ways : and the way of peace have they not 
known: There is no fear of God before their eyes." 
(Eom. iii, 9-18.) 

What a dark picture and shameful record of man ! 
Thou art deluded, 0, sinful man, who would argue 
from these scriptures the impossibility of a holy life 
in Christ. These scriptures describe man without 
Christ. Hear what the prophet tays of the righteous- 
ness of man: "It is as filthy rags/' (Isa. lxiv, 6.) 

Of the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees, Christ 
says : "Ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which in- 
deed appear beautiful without but are within full of 
dead men's bones, and all uncleanness." (Matt. 
xxiii, 27.) 



106 Redemption Completed. 

If men were not fallen, polluted, sinful, and in 
danger, how uncalled-for and severe the words of 
Christ: "Except ye repent ye shall all likewise per- 
ish" (Luke xiii, 3), and, "Except ye be converted, ye 
shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt, 
xvm, 3). 

If man is not depraved and sinful, and is in him- 
self sufficient, why the alarming declaration, "He 
that believeth not is condemned already," and "He 
that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the 
wrath of God abideth upon him"? (St. John iii, 18 
and 36.) 

Says John Fletcher, in his "Appeal to Matters of 
Facts:" "Shall we charge the Son of God, in whom 
are hid all the treasures of divine wisdom, with the 
unparallelled folly of coming from heaven to atone 
for innocent creatures; to reprieve persons uncon- 
demned; to redeem a race of free men; to deliver 
from the curse a people not accursed ; to hang by ex- 
quisitely-dolorous wounds, made in His sacred hands 
and feet, on a tree more ignominious than the gal- 
lows, for honest men, and very good sort of people; 
and to expire under the sense of the wrath of Heaven, 
that He might save from hell a people not in danger 
of going there ?" 

Knowing God's opinion of man in his natural state, 
we now want to make a personal investigation of the 
heart of man, and see what we can find. 

For convenience, we will go with the above-named 
author in this investigation, see what he finds, and 



Redemption Completed. 107 

then decide whether or not we can agree with his dis- 
covery. As an evidence of the depraved and polluted 
condition of the soul of man, he discovers that it is 
productive of the following outbreaking detestable 
brood: "Pride, that odious vice, which feeds on the 
praises it slyly procures, lives by the applause it has 
meanly courted, and is equally stabbed by the reproof 
of a friend and the sneer of a foe. The spirit of in- 
dependence, which can not bear control, is galled by 
the easiest yoke, gnaws the slender cords of just au- 
thority, as if they were the heavy chains of tyrannical 
power ; nor ever ceases struggling till they break, and 
he can say: 'Now I am my own master/ Ambition 
and vanity, which, like Proteus, take a thousand 
shapes, and wind a thousand ways, to climb up the 
high seat of power, shine on the tottering stage of 
honor, wear the golden badge of fortune, glitter in 
the gaudy pomp of dress, and draw, by distinguishing 
appearances, the admiration of a gaping multitude. 

"Sloth, which unnerves the soul, enfeebles the body, 
and makes the whole man deaf to the calls of duty, 
loath to set about his business, even when want, fear, 
or shame drives him to it, ready to postpone or omit 
it upon any pretense, and willing to give up the in- 
terests of society, virtue, and religion, so he may saun- 
ter undisturbed, doze the time away in stupid inac- 
tivity, or enjoy himself in that dastardly indolence 
which passes in the world for quietness and good na- 
ture. 

"Envy, that looks with an evil eye at the good 



108 Redemption Completed. 

things our competitors enjoy, takes a secret pleasure 
in their misfortunes, under various pretexts exposes 
their faults, slyly tries to add to our reputation what 
it detracts from theirs, and stings our hearts when 
they eclipse us by their greater success or superior ex- 
cellencies. Covetousness, which is always dissatisfied 
with its portion, watches it with tormenting fears, 
increases it with every sordid means, and turning its 
own executioner, justly pines for want over the treas- 
ure it madly saves for a prodigal heir. Impatience, 
which frets at everything, finds fault with every per- 
son, and madly tears herself, under the distressing 
sense of a present evil, or the anxious expectation of 
an absent good. Wrath, which distorts our faces, 
racks our breasts, alarms our households, threatens, 
curses, stamps and storms, even under imaginary or 
trifling provocations. Jealousy, that, through a fatal 
skill in diabolical optics, sees contempt in all the 
words of a favorite friend, discovers infidelity in all 
his actions, lives upon the wicked suspicions it begets, 
and turns the sweets of the mildest passion into worm- 
wood and gall. Hatred of our fellow-creatures, which 
keeps us void of tender benevolence, a chief ingredi- 
ent in the bliss of angels, and fills us with some of 
the most unhappy sensations belonging to cursed 
spirits. Malice, which takes an unnatural, hellish 
pleasure in teasing beasts, and hurting men, in their 
persons, properties or reputation. And the offspring 
of malice, Eevenge, who always thirsts after mischief 
or blood, and shares the only delight of devils, when 



Redemption Completed. 109 

he can repay a real or fancied injury seven-fold. Hy- 
pocrisy, who borrows the cloak of religion; bids her 
flexible muscles imitate vital piety; attends at the 
sacred altars, to make a show of her fictitious devo- 
tion; there raises her affected zeal in proportion to 
the number of spectators; calls upon God to get the 
praise of man; and lifts up adulterous eyes and 
thievish hands to heaven, to procure herself the good 
things of the earth. . . . 

"Detestable as these vices and tempers are, where 
is the natural man that is always free from them? 
Where is even the child, ten years old, who never felt 
most of these vipers, upon some occasion or other, 
shooting their venom through his lips, darting their 
baleful influence through his eyes, or, at least, stir- 
ring and hissing in his disturbed breast ? If any one 
never felt them, he may be pronounced more than 
mortal; but if he has, his own experience furnishes 
him with a sensible demonstration that he is a fallen 
spirit, infected with the poison that rages in the devil 
himself." 

Let each reader decide for himself: Are these 
things not true? 

It must be agreed that this investigation of the hu- 
man heart fully corresponds with the inspired ac- 
count of his condition; consequently, it must be a 
true one. 

Where, then, is the objector, who denies the de- 
pravity of human nature, or the Unitarian or moral- 
ist, who fancies that his morality is sufficient; that 



110 Redemption Completed, 

he needs no atonement ; denies the divinity of Christ ; 
scorns at the plan of salvation? In spite of his ob- 
jections, and his apologies for human nature, this is 
his condition, and with all other fallen beings he must 
have a Savior to erase the blackness of his heart, to 
cleanse away the pollution of his nature, or everlast- 
ing punishment will be his portion. 

This, then, is the consequence of the fall, and the 
effect of sin upon humanity; changing him from a 
holy creature to a partaker of evil tempers and dire 
affections of evil spirits. In this condition, man is 
helpless. Just as the earth is unable to rid itself of 
its curses, and transform itself into a paradise, and 
the body of man is unable to throw off pain, suffer- 
ing and death, and make itself immortal, even so man 
is unable to rid himself of these distempers and un- 
holy affections, and transform himself into the like- 
ness and nature of God. Can man be delivered from 
this awful condition? Shall he be redeemed? This 
is all the result of the fall, which is the work of the 
devil. And listen; let us sound the keynote again: 
"For this purpose the Son of Grod was manifested, 
that he might destroy the works of the devil." (1 
John iii, 8.) 

Now, the Father, who created man in His own 
image, made him of the same disposition of soul ; who 
also, in His mind of infinite wisdom, conceived the 
great plan of redemption ; has so arranged it that, re- 
gardless of man's pollution, wickedness, and sin, he 



Redemption Completed. Ill 

may be fully redeemed, made pure and holy, reflect- 
ing again the Creator's likeness. 

Let it be emphasized, that redemption is not com- 
plete in the individual until he becomes like God in 
the moral dispositions of his soul, and is freed from 
all of these evil tempers. 

Having ascertained the consequence and effect of 
the fall upon the soul of man, it will not be difficult 
to comprehend the great work which redemption must 
do to deliver man from the effects of the fall. 

Salvation, the part of redemption applied expressly 
to man, is God's provision to lift him out of his wick- 
edness, pollution and bondage of sin, and to confer 
upon him everlasting holiness and happiness. This 
plan of salvation is beautifully set forth in the famil- 
iar scripture of St. John iii, 16 : "For God so loved 
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 
have everlasting life." This is the golden text of the 
Bible, announcing that the purpose of the atonement 
was to save a perishing world from its ruin, and to 
provide for a condemned and fallen race an ever- 
lasting life. This grand proclamation of the gospel 
has been upon the lips of missionaries and ministers 
in all lands and in all ages since it has been uttered, 
more frequently than any other text of the Bible. 
Nothing could be more fitting. It has kindled hope 
in the bosoms of millions of mankind, and has been 
honored in bringing multitudes to the feet of Christ. 



112 Redemption Completed. 

Again : "But God commendeth his love toward us, 
in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for 
us." (Eom. v, 8.) 

The Prophet Isaiah, with a prophetic eye, looks 
down through centuries of misty time, and sees the 
plan of redemption being fulfilled in behalf of the 
human family, and speaks thus of the Eedeemer and 
His work: "He is despised and rejected of men; a 
man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we 
hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised 
and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our 
griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem 
him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. He was 
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for 
our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was 
upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isa. 
liii, 3-5.) 

That which was lost through sin in the fall is re- 
stored by Christ in redemption. "For since by man 
came death, by man came also the resurrection of the 
dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall 
all be made alive." (1 Cor. xv, 21, 22.) And so it is 
written, "The first man Adam was made a living 
soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." 
(1 Cor. xv, 45.) "Where sin abounded, grace did 
much more abound." (Eom. v, 20.) 

This great salvation has been provided for all men, 
making it possible for all, who will, to be saved and 
made eternally happy. While it is a salvation uni- 



Redemption Completed. 113 

versally offered, it is evident that it is not -universally 
accepted, and that those who do not accept will not 
be partakers of it. 

There are some false doctrines and teachings con- 
cerning the salvation of man, which, although we 
can not here go into detail in an exposition of them, 
a passing notice must be given them. There is the 
doctrine, believed by some, called Universalism, or a 
belief that all men will finally be saved. It is an er- 
roneous, dangerous doctrine, which makes Satan to 
rejoice and saints to weep; which deceives man, and 
swells the number of unfortunates who shall be for- 
ever lost. It is believed by advocates of this doctrine 
that, regardless of the manner or habits, or the ways 
of men, finally all men will be made happy. The 
foundation of this doctrine is the wresting of a few 
Scripture passages from their intended meaning, and 
an argument that God is too merciful to punish man. 
We agree, in a sense, that the latter argument is true : 
that God does not punish man, but that he punishes 
himself. In the beginning, God did not create man 
as a machine, but gave him a free agency; a will. 
This will he could exercise as he chose, which he did. 
Man's will was not wrested from him in the fall. He 
still retains it, and has power to exercise it to his 
pleasure. Man has become guilty, and is worthy of 
nothing but punishment; but God places before him 
a possibility of escaping punishment, but man refuses 
and rebels, and because of it he must suffer. Who, 
8 



114 Redemption Completed. 

then, is to blame ? Dare we charge God as being un- 
merciful, after having offered man deliverance, and 
he refuses? 

Imagine a man on a burning vessel, already in a 
sinking condition. In a few more moments his body 
will be devoured by the flames or fill a watery grave. 
A life-saving crew are busy at work; they get near 
enough to the sinking vessel, throw a rope to the 
man on board and cry : "Take hold ! take hold !" 
Carelessly and unconcerned he sits until the vessel 
sinks. Can we charge the life-saving crew, who have 
encountered the storm, breasted the waves, and risked 
their own lives, for the loss of this man ? The unani- 
mous answer is, ~No ! 

Again : A few months ago there sat in the prison 
at Auburn, New York, a criminal, adjudged worthy 
of death. Through the crime which he had committed 
he attracted world-wide notice. There he sat, in the 
dim prison cell, sadly awaiting the hour of execution, 
which was unknown to him. Suppose that between 
his sobs he hears the fall of footsteps, and he observes 
by the dim light an officer, in full uniform, approach- 
ing him. Stepping up to the condemned man he 
says, "I have a message for you. The chief executive 
has granted you a pardon, if you choose to accept it/' 
Although the pardon is granted upon authority, and 
signed by the highest official, instead of falling upon 
the neck of the messenger and with tears of thankful- 
ness receiving it, the condemned man thrusts it aside 
and refuses to have anything to do with it. The hour 



Redemption Completed. 115 

for execution arrives, and he pays the penalty of 
death for a violated law. Who, then, is to blame for 
his execution? 

Now, man is in an equally sad and guilty condi- 
tion. Bv violation of the law of Heaven he has in- 
curred upon himself the sentence of death. In this 
condition he sits in the dim prison cell of life, await- 
ing the hour of punishment, which is unknown to 
him. But, a Heavenly Messenger appears with a 
pardon which reads something like this: "For God 
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life." The pardon is written by 
the Chief Executive, and signed in the blood of 
Christ; but man thrusts it aside and says: "I will 
have nothing to do with it," and pays the penalty of 
a broken law. Now, let me ask, in all candor, who is 
to blame for his punishment? The most illiterate 
can answer readily and with certainty. 

Should any one be so unfortunate as to be lost, 
after having had salvation offered to him, it is be- 
cause he has, either by rejecting or neglecting, chosen 
to be so. 

Methinks that if there is one thing above others 
which will make the torments of hell unbearable, it 
will be, that salvation has been offered, invitations 
have been given, and that opportunities have been 
slighted and are forever gone. 

Again, it is understood by the language of Jesus, 
that the fires of hell were never prepared for men and 



116 Redemption Completed. 

women. He tells of a time, that is coming, when all 
nations shall be gathered before the Judge upon the 
throne. The righteous shall be separated from the 
wicked. Then shall He say to the righteous, "Come 
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre- 
pared for you from the foundation of the world." 
Then shall He say unto the wicked, "Depart from me, 
ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil 
and his angels." (St. Matt, xxv, 31-46.) Here he 
plainly states that everlasting fire was prepared for 
the devil and his angels; but man having followed 
them in their apostasy against God, and refusing to 
repent and accept salvation, they must share in the 
punishment provided for them. 

God's unbounded mercy then lies in the fact that 
He offers man deliverance from the bondage and pen- 
alty of sin, and everlasting happiness. Had it not 
been for His great mercy, man would have been com- 
pelled to suffer forever, without an offer of salvation 
or a possibility of escape. 

There is another doctrine, relating to this subject, 
which is almost, or altogether, as erroneous. It is 
the doctrine of predestinarianism. Advocates of this 
doctrine hold that some are predestinated to be saved 
and others to be lost; or, rather, that some are pre- 
destinated to such a conduct as will lead to happi- 
ness, and others to a conduct that will lead to misery. 
We are glad that the adherents to this doctrine, so 
strongly opposed to the free agency of man, and so 
radically contradictory to the teachings of the Bible, 



Redemption Completed. 117 

in reference to a salvation offered to all, are rapidly 
growing less. Some who once believed and defended 
the doctrine are now opposed to the teaching of it. 
It is a doctrine which entirely sets aside and ignores 
some of the plainest teachings of the Bible. If there 
were no other texts in the Bible relating to a uni- 
versally-offered salvation than the very familiar one 
of St. John iii, 16, it seems as though this one, alone, 
should be sufficient to drive the doctrine of predesti- 
nation, as it is taught by some, from the field. "Who- 
soever," any one, without regard to age, sex, position, 
or color; not whosoever is predestinated to be saved; 
but, God gave His only begotten Son, that "whoso- 
ever believeth" in Him should not perish but have 
everlasting life. 

God said, through the Prophet Ezekiel: "As I 
live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the 
death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from 
his way and live." (Ezek. xxxiii, 11.) Through the 
apostle He says : "The Lord is not slack concerning 
his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long- 
suffering to usward, not willing that any should per- 
ish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 
iii, 9.) According to these texts, it would not appear 
as though God predestinated that any one should be 
lost. 

Again, Christ calls to all men, saying, "Come unto 
me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will 
give you rest." (St. Matt, xi, 28.) 

Listen to the last invitation of the gospel to a 



118 Redemption Completed. 

fallen world: "And the Spirit and the bride say, 
Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And 
let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, 
let him take of the water of life freely." (Rev. xxii, 
17.) 

These scriptures plainly teach that whosoever will 
may be saved. The doctrine of predestination, which 
argues that whoever is lost is predestinated to be lost, 
is unscriptural and unfounded. 

Of course the Scriptures teach a predestination, 
but it also indicates plainly that this predestination 
of man is based upon man's acceptance of salvation. 
Salvation is not forced upon any one, but is God's pro- 
vision for and offer to fallen humanity; and as the 
fall came by freedom of choice, likewise man's re- 
demption from it comes by his acceptance of it. 

As all have shared in the fall, all may share in re- 
demption; for if the work of redemption does not 
offer to all who fell a complete deliverance from the 
effects of it, the power of redemption would have 
been outreached by the power of the fall. But the 
work of redemption does offer to all a complete de- 
liverance from the fall, and when its work is com- 
plete in the soul of man he will reflect the image of 
his Creator, in the disposition of His soul, and will 
possess a holiness not less pure than that which filled 
the bosoms of the first holy pair. 



CHAPTER X. 

Kedemption of Man — Pardon. 

THEEE is, indeed, quite a variety of teachings 
upon the subject of salvation. There may be 
a more universal agreement as to the effects of it, 
but the point of argument lies more especially in the 
experiences relating to it. There are a great many 
ideas, and notions, and creeds; but what we want is, 
to understand, if possible, the mind of the Lord con- 
cerning the subject. It is hoped that every reader 
will lay aside every prejudice, and enter this study 
with a spirit of prayer and a reverence due so sub- 
lime a subject. 

It is not the intention of the author, in this trea- 
tise, to take up every phase of practical Christian 
life, as this would require too much space, and is un- 
necessary here; but, if possible, to trace the great 
work of redemption through human hearts, to ob- 
serve its workings, and to ascertain its immediate 
and permanent results. 

The term salvation will be used here in preference 
to redemption, from the fact that salvation is that 
part of redemption applied expressly to man ; and al- 
though it does not cover the work of redemption com- 

119 



120 Redemption Completed. 

plete, it covers that part under consideration, the re- 
demption of man. 

Believing that the blood of Christ is the atonement 
by which salvation is brought to a fallen world, it 
may be insisted that salvation means to man nothing 
less than the purpose of His death in man's behalf, 
or the atonement. It is not until the revealed pur- 
pose of the death of Christ is wrought in man that 
salvation is complete in him. If we can, by a careful 
study of the Word, discover the stated purposes of 
His death, we will have found the key which unlocks 
this great subject, and a clear idea can be obtained 
as to the experiences relating to salvation, constituting 
man holv. Let us see : 

In Ephesians i, 7, we read : "In whom we have re- 
demption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, 
according to the riches of His grace." Also, in Colos- 
sians i, 14, we have a parallel scripture : "In whom we 
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of 
sins." The word even, as found in the common ver- 
sion, is omitted in this last quotation, it not being 
found in the original, and, in a sense, modifies its 
meaning. According to the plainest teaching of the 
gospel, the atonement is that which brings to man 
redemption. This truth is accepted by all who are 
believers in Christ. These texts set forth this fact, 
and declare further, that the forgiveness of sins is a 
stipulated part of that work. This is one stated pur- 
pose of the atonement, and necessarily one experi- 
ence to be attained by human souls. This is, in it- 



Redemption Completed. 121 

self, a great purpose ; but this is not all. In Hebrews 
xiii, 12, the apostle gives another stated purpose of 
the death of Christ : "Wherefore Jesus also, that He 
might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered 
without the gate." Also, in Ephesians v, 25-27 : 
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved 
the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might 
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by 
the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glori- 
ous Church, not having spot, or wrinkle or any such 
thing; but that it should be holy and without blem- 
ish." Note, that in this last given purpose Christ is 
declared to have given Himself, not for the world, 
but for the Church. 

These scriptures introduce two purposes of the 
death of Christ, while, in themselves, they are dis- 
tinct, yet inseparable; consequently it may justly be 
inferred that there are two experiences for man in 
salvation, though distinct, yet inseparable. 

The first mentioned purpose is that of forgiveness, 
and the second that of sanctification, harmonizing 
with the fact that man is not only guilty, from which 
he must be pardoned, but polluted, from which he 
must be cleansed, before salvation is complete in him. 
The farther we get in the study of this subject, the 
more we will be able to comprehend these facts; and 
we will find that they are not mere ideas or notions 
of men, but teachings of the Bible, with sound logic 
in them. 

Salvation, then, affords two experiences for man, 



122 Redemption Completed. 

and we do not find these, as some think, a first and 
second class ticket to heaven, but such works of grace 
to be wrought in the heart, which, in the sight of God, 
is necessary to remove man's guilt, cleanse away his 
pollution, restore in him the image of the Creator, 
and thus prepare him for heavenly blessedness. 

Bear in mind this fact, that as these two declared 
purposes of the death of Christ are in themselves dis- 
tinct, but inseparable, so the experiences attained 
through them are distinct, yet inseparable; for the 
first can not be retained without the second, neither 
can the second be obtained without the first. We will 
here look into the first mentioned purpose of the 
atonement, forgiveness. Man is guilty; all have 
sinned; all have transgressed God's law. With the 
exception of the Son of God, no man or woman ever 
walked upon the earth but who transgressed God's 
law. If all have sinned and are guilty, all need for- 
giveness. What shameful records are made by sinful 
men: sins committed openly, known to the world; 
sins committed secretly, concealed from friends; but 
whether they are open or secret, a record of every one 
of them is kept in heaven, which man must face in 
the judgment. 

How shall man escape the penalty for sin, which 
is everlasting punishment? Can he escape it? Hear 
this grand declaration of the gospel: Through the 
blood of Jesus, we have forgiveness of sins. Man 
can be delivered from the penalty of a broken law. 
He may be forgiven ; for this is one stated purpose of 



Eedemption Completed. 123 

the death of Christ. In the plan of salvation provi- 
sion is made by which guilty men may be forgiven, 
pardoned; all sins of his past life canceled, erased, 
never to appear again; all shameful records be 
blotted out through the atonement, the blood of Jesus 
Christ. "He was wounded for our transgressions." 
(Isa. liii, 5.) This is surely a grand purpose of the 
death of Christ, and a grand experience afforded to 
guilty man through his death. It can only be ob- 
tained by a genuine repentance and a living faith in 
the Lord Jesus Christ. 

There are two sides to this experience, the human 
and the divine. Repentance is the human part, and 
forgiveness the divine. It is the human part which 
keeps multitudes from enjoying this blessed experi- 
ence, they being unwilling to perform it; and as the 
second, or divine, part is conditioned upon the first, 
or human part, they can not obtain it. 

Be it emphasized, that when man performs his 
part, the work of repentance, the Father will, without 
fail, grant forgiveness. It is the human part which 
we need to understand and to perform, and the divine 
part will be faithfully executed. 

A thorough and evangelical repentance embraces 
more than a great many seem to think. First, it em- 
braces a knowledge of sins, without which it would 
be impossible to repent. Through the fall, man's 
spiritual senses have been greatly impaired. Man, in 
sin, is in a great stupor, asleep, unconscious of his 
real condition. He is dead in trespasses and sins. 



124 Redemption Completed. 

Paul says to him: "Awake thou that sleepest, and 
arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." 
(Eph. v, 14.) 

A knowledge of sin will lead to the next step in 
repentance, which is conviction. Christ said of the 
Holy Spirit : "When he is come, he will reprove the 
world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment/' 
(St. John xvi, 8.) It is only when man is awakened 
to a knowledge of his condition, and is reproved by 
the Holy Spirit, that he will become convicted, and 
will sorrow after a godly manner, "for godly sorrow 
worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented 
of." (B Cor. vii, 10.) 

When one becomes really convicted, having had the 
X ray of Heaven turned upon him by the Holy Spirit, 
he becomes miserable and very heavy. Sin becomes a 
great weight to him. The writer has been permitted 
to see many sinners coming for pardon. Most of 
them came bowed down and stooped, as if they were 
carrying a heavy load, which indeed sin is. 

One man, in a meeting where a large number were 
saved, advanced slowly from the back part of the 
house, about halfway up the aisle ; then, reaching out 
his hand, he said : "Won't you take me to the altar ?" 
He was led to the altar, where he prayed to God, re- 
pented of his sins, and was happily saved. After he 
was saved, he told why he had asked assistance to get 
to the altar. He said that he was so burdened and 
heavy that he was afraid that he could not get there 
alone. 



Redemption Completed. 125 

Often, as a consequence of the reproving of the 
Holy Spirit, man becomes so miserable that sleep, 
rest and appetite are lost. It is under this reproval 
and this sorrow for sin that men are made to cry 
out, as did those of old, under the piercing, searching 
power of Pentecost : "Men and brethren, what shall 
we do?" 

The next step of repentance is that of confession, 
without which forgiveness can not be obtained. The 
promise of forgiveness of sins is conditioned upon 
our confession of them. Note: "If we confess our 
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 
(1 John i, 9.) Again: "With the heart man believeth 
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is 
made unto salvation." (Eom. x, 10.) This will lead 
to an earnest calling upon God for salvation, and it 
is written: "Whosoever calleth upon the name of 
the Lord shall be saved." (Eom. x, 13.) 

But this is not all. A genuine repentance embraces 
a forsaking of sin and a restitution for wrongs com- 
mitted. Not only does the truly repenting one con- 
fess sin and indicate sorrow for those committed, but 
from the depths of his soul forsakes ; not simply prom- 
ises to forsake, but does forsake, all sin. Says the 
prophet: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the 
unrighteous man his thoughts : and let him return 
unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; 
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." 
(Isa. lv, 7.) This is the only way that the Father 
accepts of our repentance. 



126 Redemption Completed. 

"A certain woman, who was professedly repenting, 
was asked whether she was willing to lay aside the 
jewelry with which her body was adorned. She re- 
plied that she would not, then turned and asked 
whether, if she would lay aside her jewelry until she 
was saved, she could wear them again. She was un- 
willing to forsake sin, and the result was, in her case, 
as it will be in any such case, she did not get saved. 

The part of repentance called restitution seems the 
most difficult for man to perform, but the individual 
who thoroughly repents will make wrongs right. He 
will restore wherein he has taken unjustly; he will 
confess untruths of years' standing, if he is guilty of 
them; he will pay up old debts, though outlawed. If 
he has ever taken the bankrupt law, and paid his 
creditors with sixty-cent dollars, he will make a des- 
perate effort to pay the remaining forty cents on 
every dollar, with interest. These are works meet for 
repentance. Yes, sir; if a man truly repents he will 
make restitution. It may be necessary to write let- 
ters, to make apologies, to sign bank checks, to hand 
over some hard cash; but, at any cost, he will fix up 
past records, straighten up back tracks; for he will 
have the spirit that Zaccheus had when he said : "If 
I have taken anything from any man by false accu- 
sation, I will restore him fourfold." (St. Luke 
xix, 8.) 

This is genuine repentance, which is the human 
part for the fulfillment of this stated purpose of the 
death of Christ, of which the divine part is forgive- 



Redemption Completed. 127 

ness. This blessed experience is offered to all who 
will accept of it upon Bible terms. 

It means much to repent. The gospel of repent- 
ance is not a very popular doctrine, and is almost for- 
saken. John the Baptist was a repentance preacher, 
and went about crying : "Kepent ye : for the kingdom 
of heaven is at hand." He did not become a very 
popular preacher, for he made his meat of locusts 
and wild honey, and wore for his raiment camel's 
hair. The world to-day is in great need of repentance 
preachers, ]ike John; who, like him, would conde- 
scend to low estate, and instead of seeking after titles 
of dignity and honor, would be content to assign to 
themselves the same humble one which he bore : "The 
voice of one crying in the wilderness." Doubtless, 
if there were more preachers to-day who would preach 
the gospel of repentance, there would be more who 
would be compelled to eat locusts and wild honey, 
but more souls would be saved. But John fearlessly 
preached repentance, and when many of the Pharisees 
and Sadducees came to be baptized of him, he said : 
"0 generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee 
from the wrath to come ? Bring forth therefore fruits 
meet for repentance." (St. Matt, iii, 7, 8.) 

0, how the standard of repentance is lowered to- 
day, until it means little more than a resolution to 
lead a better life. This is doubtless, in a measure, 
due to the unfaithfulness of the ministry. 

There are some who are willing to go a part of the 
way of repentance. Some, after having a knowledge 



128 Redemption Completed. 

of sin, reach a place where they are sorry for them, 
perhaps shed a few tears, and then stop, mistaking 
conviction for salvation. Others advance a little 
farther, and are willing to, and do, confess their sins, 
but are unwilling to forsake them. Still others con- 
fess their sins and are willing to forsake their pres- 
ent sins, but are unwilling to make restitution for 
past wrongs; but hope that someway everything will 
come out all right, and thus go through life deceived. 

How many are there, who profess to be Christians, 
who have never made wrongs right, have never paid 
up old debts, have never fixed up past records, and, 
perhaps, some of them are professing holiness. What 
such need is a genuine repentance, which will secure 
for them the blessing of pardon or forgiveness. But 
thanks be to God, there are a few who have gone all of 
the way, have met Heaven's conditions, have obtained 
Heaven's smiles, have been saved from their sins, and 
this purpose of the atonement is fulfilled in them. 

The fulfillment of this purpose of the death of 
Christ in the soul of man is a grand work. It re- 
moves guilt, brings him back to innocency, leaving not 
a record to his condemnation, nor a single transgres- 
sion to his account; and when once forgiven and 
blotted out, they will never appear again, no, not even 
in the judgment. 

Grand possibility afforded to guilty man, sinful 
and condemned; a salvation which removes guilt and 
delivers from the penalty of a broken law ! 



CHAPTER XI. 

Redemption of Man — Sanctification. 

MAN is not only guilty, but polluted. This fact 
is established beyond controversy, by God's de- 
scription of man, as reviewed in the previous chap- 
ter, in connection with the investigation made upon 
the heart of man in its natural state. This pollution 
is the inherited depravity, transmitted to man from 
the fall, through successive generations. It is the un- 
derlying cause of all transgression; the fountain-head 
of all impure waters; the evil root which produces 
every corrupt fruit. It is the condition of the human 
heart, which is the source of every evil act, every un- 
kind word, and every impure thought. 

Since it is true that this depraved nature is handed 
down from the fall, and is inherited, consequently un- 
avoidable upon the part of those who live to-day, the 
question frequently occurs: Is man responsible for 
his pollution? Some would argue that he is not in 
the least responsible, but this is easily understood 
when we look at it in the proper light. He is respon- 
sible. 

Says a certain author : "We can easily see how all 
men can be involved in the consequences of Adam's 
sin, so as to possess a depraved nature, inclined only 
9 129 



130 Redemption Completed. 

to evil without the grace of God; but can not receive 
the idea that personal guilt can be attached to any 
man for an act which transpired before he was born. 
'This is the condemnation; that light has come into 
the world ; and men love darkness rather than light/ 
Man's guilt and final ruin are wholly in consequence 
of his own act, in obstinately rejecting the only sav- 
ing remedy. Hence, strictly speaking, no one can 
be accountable for his depravity until he voluntarily 
indorses it by preferring it to the righteousness of 
Christ. By rejecting the offer of the gospel to par- 
don his sins and to cleanse him from all unrighteous- 
ness, he becomes accountable, not only for his sinful 
acts, but for the indwelling disposition which prompts 
to the acts. He might have a clean heart and right 
spirit, but he prefers the old depraved nature." 

Before the work of redemption, which restores man 
to the image of the Father, is complete in him, this 
pollution must be removed. Some argue that this 
work of grace can not be obtained in this life. A cer- 
tain class argue that sin is in the flesh, and that death 
must be awaited for deliverance. Others, who admit 
the pollution of the soul of man, attribute some 
cleansing power to death. Still there is another class 
who believe in a purgatory, in whose fires, after death, 
all sin will be burned out and man will be made holy. 
Our land is dotted with these churches whose steeples 
are reared heavenward ; yet it is a doctrine born in the 
infernal pit, and is used by Satan and his agents to 
deceive man, and to populate the regions of the lost. 



Redemption Completed. 131 

This doctrine has not the slightest Scriptural war- 
rant, and I challenge the world for a single passage 
to confirm it. 

He who would trust for holiness in death will be 
sadly disappointed in eternity. Deceived and unfor- 
tunate soul, who confides in future fires for deliver- 
ance from sin; who will wake to the fact, only too 
late, that the fires of the future will fail to purify 
from sin, but will be the punishment of the wicked 
forever. 

Nowhere does the Bible teach that the soul shall 
be delivered from its sinful condition after this life 
has ended, but everywhere sets forth that it is the 
work of redemption wrought in human hearts in this 
present life. In the familiar text of 1 John i, 7, 
"If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we 
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of 
Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin;" 
notice, he does not say, that upon this considera- 
tion the blood will cleanse in the future, but cleans- 
eth ; present tense. 

Again the same writer says, 1 John iii, 2 : "Be- 
loved, now are we the sons of God." Not in our pol- 
luted state, for, through the fall, we have been made 
sons of the devil. But this restoration to sonship has 
been brought about by the atonement, and has already 
taken place with the saints. It is, then, without a 
doubt, the purpose of redemption to deliver man from 
his pollution, and to restore him to holiness here in 
this present world. 



132 Redemption Completed. 

Having now concluded that man is polluted, that 
he is responsible for his pollution, having been offered 
deliverance from it, that if he ever will be delivered 
from it he must be delivered in this present life, we 
now proceed to trace the work of grace in human 
hearts, by which it is accomplished. 

Let us again call upon the witness of the Word: 
"Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the 
people with His own blood, suffered without the gate." 
(Heb. xiii, 12.) "Husbands, love your wives, even 
as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for 
it: That He might sanctify and cleanse it by the 
washing of water by the Word, that He might present 
it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or 
wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be holy 
and without blemish." (Eph. v, 25-27.) 

In these scriptures it is plainly and definitely stated 
that one purpose of the death of Christ was that He 
might sanctify the people, which is the second stated 
purpose. He not only gave himself that the sins of 
man should be forgiven, but that he might be sanc- 
tified. To sanctify means to cleanse from pollution, 
to purify, to make holy, to set apart for sacred use. 
Sanctification does not deal with transgressions, but 
is the process by which the pollution of sin is re- 
moved from the heart ; and the blood of Jesus is de- 
clared to be the sanctifying agency. 

Sin, strictly speaking, is not an act, but a condition 
of the heart, which must be changed into a holy con- 
dition, must be made pure, with holy affections, be- 



Redemption Completed. 133 

fore man is fitted for future and eternal blessedness. 
This work of grace has two sides, the human and the 
divine. The human side is the setting apart, or con- 
secration, and the divine part is the cleansing. 

The first stated purpose of the death of Jesus, 
which is forgiveness, or pardon, freeing man from 
the guilt of transgression and the penalty of a broken 
law, being fulfilled in the heart, not only a grand ex- 
perience is obtained, but a great work is surely 
wrought. We would not be guilty of underestimating 
the value of this work, for it is that forepart of the 
work of salvation, and is all-essential. But there are 
many who make no further advancement, settle down 
upon this experience, failing to understand that the 
purpose of the atonement, or the death of Christ, is 
not complete in them. His purpose is to restore man 
to holiness, that state from which he fell, and that 
state to which he must be restored before redemption 
is complete in him. Forgiveness is the primary part, 
and indispensable as the forepart of this great work. 
We should not ignore the primary part of this great 
plan, as it is the very foundation of Christian experi- 
ence, and the individual who would attain to the full 
purpose of the plan of salvation will find this the 
first work of grace to be wrought. But this is not all, 
for this work of grace only removes the guilt of com- 
mitted sins, not the pollution of the heart, and this 
pollution must be cleansed away before man can re- 
flect the image of the Creator, and the work of re- 
demption will be complete. 



134 Redemption Completed. 

Let it be here emphasized, that not until the image 
of the Creator is reflected in the individual, as it was 
when God said "Let us make man in our image/' and 
executed His plan, and created him in His own 
image, is redemption complete in him ; for sin robbed 
him of that image, and redemption must restore it. 

We do not hold that man will be made infallible, 
and can not err in judgment or make any mistake, but 
that the Master, whose eyes are as "a flame of fire/' 
all-piercing, all-searching, can see beneath every act, 
back of every word, in every business transaction and 
with every thought that pure, innocent, Christlike 
motive and purpose of heart. 

There are many who, having received pardon for 
their sins, mistakingly suppose that they have reached 
the climax of Christian experience, and sit down and 
fold their arms in ease. The result is a failure. This 
is one reason why the altars at camp-meetings and 
conventions are filled with backsliders. Of course 
many so-called, backsliders have never had anything 
to backslide from; but some are there because they 
failed to go on into a higher experience. Paul says, 
in Hebrews vi, 1, "Therefore leaving the principles 
of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfec- 
tion." The primary principles are essential, but 
we are told to go farther than these. As in the build- 
ing of a house, the foundation is absolutely necessary, 
yet to be always laboring to lay the foundation would 
be ridiculous. So we are commanded to go beyond 



Redemption Completed. 135 

the first principles, unto perfection, namely, comple- 
tion, or sanctification. 

Many, instead of going on unto the place where 
God would perfect them, and complete in them the 
purpose of the death of Christ, become unwilling, 
brace themselves against the leadings of the Spirit, 
and backslide. It can not be doubted but that the 
Holy Spirit will lead every honest, seeking soul, who 
has been pardoned from his sins, to a realization of 
the need of a completion of the work already begun; 
and if that one will walk in the light, as the Spirit 
will reveal it to him, He will lead that one into the 
experience of sanctification. The individual who re- 
fuses to walk in the light, as it shines upon his path- 
way, will surely backslide, and there are many in that 
condition. 

Dear reader, the only way to keep from backsliding 
is to go on unto perfection. The only way to prepare 
for heavenly blessedness is to have the full purpose 
of the death of Christ completed in you ; and we have 
already seen that the Scriptures declare that Christ 
not only gave himself that man's sins should be for- 
given, but that He might sanctify the people with 
His own blood. (Heb. xiii, 12.) That He not only 
came to forgive the sins of the transgressor, but to 
sanctify the Church. (Eph. v, 25, 26.) Hence it is 
not until we are sanctified, through the blood of 
Christ, that the purpose of His death is complete in 
us. 



136 Redemption Completed. 

0, that every Christian might let the Holy Spirit 
complete the purpose of the death of Christ in him, 
for it requires the sanctifying power of the blood to 
restore man to holiness of nature, purity of heart, 
and to the same disposition of soul that he possessed 
when he first came from his Creator's hand. 

There is nothing inconsistent or unnecessary in the 
plan of redemption. There is nothing superfluous 
in the economy of grace. It is suited to the exact 
needs of humanity. 

The fact being established that, without the sanc- 
tifying blood of Christ being applied to the heart, the 
purpose of His death, for us, is not fulfilled, and 
without the cleansing away of man's pollution, and 
the restoration of the Savior's likeness, redemption 
in us is not complete, we desire to show, from 
a Scriptural standpoint, who are applicants for 
this work of grace. Man's ideas, and "think 
soes" and "guess soes" ought not to be im- 
posed upon others, and what we desire to know 
is the mind of the Lord. Let us inquire the mind 
of Christ, as to who are applicants for this stated 
purpose of the atonement. Before Him, the heart of 
man is as an open book, and He knows humanity bet- 
ter than He was ever known to mortality. What we 
will find in reference to His knowledge of the need of 
any class, in order that they may attain to the high- 
est experience and state of grace, possible and neces- 
sary, will be true of all classes ; and what provision of 
the atonement has been necessarily made for that 



Redemption Completed. 137 

class has been made for all classes, for all men are 
alike polluted; consequently all alike have need of 
the same work of grace to be performed in their heart, 
to deliver from that pollution, and to restore the 
Creator's likeness. By pursuing this method of study 
we accept, not man's opinion, nor human wisdom, but 
God's opinion and divine wisdom. Let us see : Whom 
did Christ consider as fit applicants for sanctification, 
and why did they need it? Open your Bible at the 
17th chapter of the gospel, as recorded by St. John. 
Here we have the Savior of the world, who came down 
from heaven to save fallen man. For about three 
years He had been going up and down the hills of 
Judea, and along the shores of Galilee, and surround- 
ing countries, preaching the gospel, healing the sick, 
opening the eyes of the blind, unstopping the ears of 
the deaf, casting out devils, and raising the dead. 
Around Him He had gathered a small company of 
disciples. While the world at large rejected the 
Savior of men, this little company had left their nets 
and other occupations and had followed Him. To 
this Man of Sorrows these disciples were very pre- 
cious. As the dark hours of His agony and crucifix- 
ion were approaching, it seems as though that which 
was uppermost in the Savior's mind was the welfare 
of His disciples, whom He was leaving behind. So 
He called them together and told them what should 
befall Him; of how the world would mistreat them 
after His departure. He also gives the promise of the 
Comforter. After He had spoken these words, He 



138 Redemption Completed. 

lifted up His eyes to heaven, and prayed earnestly for 
His sorrowing disciples. Hear the heart-cry of Jesus 
as He pleads the Father in their behalf. Bead the 
entire prayer. After having read the entire prayer 
carefully, go over it again and mark every phrase and 
clause which indicates the relationship between Christ 
and His disciples. After a short petition in His own 
behalf, He prays for His disciples — verse 6 : "I have 
manifested thy name unto the men which thou gav- 
est me out of the world; thine they were, and thou 
gavest them me; and they have kept thy word." 
Verse 8: "For I have given unto them the words 
which thou gavest me ; and they have received them." 
Verse 9 : "I pray for them : I pray not for the world, 
but for them which thou hast given me ; for they are 
thine." Verse 10: "All mine are thine, and thine 
are mine; and I am glorified in them." Verse 12: 
"While I was with them in the world, I kept them 
in thy name : those that thou gavest me I have kept." 
Verse 14: "I have given them thy Word: and the 
world hath hated them, because they are not of the 
world, even as I am not of the world." Verse 16 : 
Here He repeats a part of verse 14: "They are not 
of the world, even as I am not of the world." Verse 
17 : "Sanctify them through Thy truth : Thy Word is 
truth." 

No sane person would dare to dispute but that the 
applicants for sanctification mentioned in this prayer 
of Jesus are His disciples. Then why did they need 



Redemption Completed. 139 

to be sanctified? Not because they were not Chris- 
tians. 

There is a class of people who foolishly attempt 
to argue that the disciples were not converted until 
Pentecost. Surely this is one of the most absurd doc- 
trines ever presented, and is seldom, if ever, pre- 
sented by any one except those who are in darkness, 
or are prejudiced against the doctrine of holiness, 
and, in a dishonest way, attempt to argue against it. 
To say nothing more concerning it, the defender and 
advocate of this idea exposes one of two things : either 
his ignorance of Bible truth, or the dishonesty of his 
heart. Let him decide which. 

Who would suppose that Christ, who was infallible, 
and could not err, would ask the Father to keep the 
sinner? Could He say of the unconverted man that 
he had received the Word and kept it? Does the 
world hate the sinner ? No ; the world loves its own. 
Christ said to His disciples (St. John xv, 19), "If 
ye were of the world, the world would love its own: 
but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen 
you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." 
Who would suppose, for a moment, that Christ, who 
came to save the world, in selecting material to lay 
the foundation of the Christian Church, would have 
selected sinners for that purpose? What would be 
the success of such an attempt? Suppose ye that 
Christ was compelled to select some of Satan's mate- 
rial to build up God's kingdom here ? At such work 



140 Redemption Completed. 

Satan would have smiled, and the Church would not 
exist to-day. Could Christ have said of them, if they 
were unsaved, "They are not of the world even as I 
am not of the world" ? No. It is only a small per- 
centage of Christian professors, holiness people and 
all, of whom Christ, who judges from the heart, could 
say, "They are not of the world even as I am not of 
the world." 

Again : After Christ had sent out the Seventy, tell- 
ing them to preach the gospel and heal the sick, etc., 
they returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the devils 
are subject unto us through thy name." Christ said 
to them, "notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that 
the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice 
because your names are written in heaven." ( St. Luke 
x, 1-20.) Would Christ send out sinners to preach the 
gospel and heal the sick, and when they come unto 
Him rejoicing, because the devils were subject unto 
them, tell them rather to rejoice because their names 
were written in heaven ? Were these sinners ? These 
truths are sufficient to drive such doctrines off of the 
field of controversy in any unprejudiced mind. But 
Christ did give His disciples such power, and they 
were converted; neither were they backslidden, as 
some may vainly suppose. Even Peter, who, in the 
hour of great trial, proved the weakest of the dis- 
ciples, and denied Christ, immediately repented, 
"went out and wept bitterly." (St. Luke xxii, 62.) 
But they all needed to be sanctified, for Christ prayed 
that they might be sanctified. 



Redemption Completed. 141 

Let us go into the study for a little while and see 
whv thev needed it. 

First : The disciples still had a jealous disposition. 
Jealousy has its seat in a depraved nature. After 
Christ had sent His disciples -out, one of them came 
to Him and said, "Master, we saw one casting out 
devils in thy name, and we forbade him because he 
followeth not with us;" but Jesus said, "Forbid him 
not, for he that is not against us is for us." (St. 
Luke ix, 49, 50.) 

How many there are to-day who would rebuke those 
who are working for the Master because they do not 
follow with them. There are many who believe that 
no one will be saved unless they belong to their 
Church, and discount everything except their opinions 
and ideas. Beloved, if you have this spirit of jeal- 
ousy, you, like the disciples, need to be sanctified. 

The disciples also had a self-seeking spirit. This 
spirit also dwells in a depraved nature. Let us see : 
At one time James and John came to Jesus and said, 
"Master, we would that thou shouldst do for us what- 
soever we shall desire," and He said unto them, 
"What would ye that I should do for you." They 
said to him, "Grant unto us that we may sit, one on 
thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy 
glory;" but Jesus replied, "To sit on My right hand 
and on My left hand is not Mine to give, but it shall 
be given to them for whom it is prepared." (St. 
Mark x, 35-40.) "When the ten heard of this they 
were displeased with James and John." (Verse 41.) 



142 Redemption Completed. 

This self-seeking spirit is very prevalent at present 
among Christians, each one seeking the highest posi- 
tion : to be class-leader, or deacon, or Conference Dele- 
gate, or to lead the singing. Neither does this spirit 
confine itself to the laity, but, sorry to say, it often 
gets into the ministry ; and when such is the case, the 
ones possessed with it seek the best pajing circuit or 
station, the most popular pulpit, to be presiding elder, 
or to be sent to the General Conference. This is the 
very same spirit the disciples possessed, and Jesus 
knew it and prayed that they should be sanctified. 
He who is possessed by this self-seeking spirit is in 
need of the same remedy, and it will do for him just 
what it did for the disciples, for, after they were sanc- 
tified, we never hear of them questioning or parleying 
as to who would be greatest. 

Observing the disciples from this incident, we see 
that at this time they were not at a perfect oneness 
with each other, and did not in love prefer one an- 
other; but like the Church of to-day, pushing ahead 
for front pews, offices, and positions. 

Jesus well knew that the only way that they would 
ever become one would be to have them sanctified, so 
He prayed, "Father, sanctify them through thy 
truth." What for ? Hear Him answer : "That they 
all may be one ; as Thou Father art in Me, and I in 
Thee, that they also may be one in us." Why the ne- 
cessity of this oneness? Hear Him speak again: 
"That the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." 

The disciples had a great work before them, and 



Redemption Completed. 143 

that work was the convincing of the world to believe 
on Christ. Jesus knew that, without being made one 
and being brought into a oneness of purpose and 
spirit, they would never be able to fill their mission, 
hence He prayed thus. 

Be it known, there is nothing in the world more 
convincing to the sinner of the reality of Christian 
life than for them to see God's people, the Church, in 
a perfect oneness and harmony, and living together 
in unity and love. On the other hand, there is noth- 
ing that has a stronger tendency to keep sinners away 
from Christ and the Church, and from God, than for 
them to see the Church jangling and torn up in con- 
tentions and strife. The Church will surely be held 
guilty for evil influences thus thrown out. 

Eeader, decide: Do we need the cure? Let each 
one get the remedy, get sanctified, and there will not 
only be a peaceful, but united Church. 

Again: The disciples had what must be called a 
kill spirit, for that is its name. This spirit also has 
its seat in a depraved nature. "And it came to pass, 
when the time was come that He should be received 
up, He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and 
sent His messengers before His face: and they went 
and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make 
ready for Him, and they did not receive Him because 
His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem. 
And when His disciples, James and John, saw this 
they said, Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to 
come down from heaven and consume them, even as 



144 Redemption Completed. 

Elias did?" Because the Samaritans would not re- 
ceive Christ they wanted to consume them. But 
Christ rebuked them severely. Is that spirit still 
found among Christians? Yes, it is still prevailing; 
and whenever some one severelv criticises, or mis- 
treats and abuses, is it not stirred? Of course good 
judgment, education, and shame together serve to 
keep it under, but it is frequently stirred to such an 
extent that the index of the heart, which is the face, 
indicates either by redness or paleness, as the case 
may be, that the spirit is there, and sometimes it 
breaks out in an unkind word or deed. This spirit 
manifests itself in many ways. Sometimes we say 
to some one, "Brother A is surely a good man." The 
reply is, "yes — y-e-s — y-e-s, he is a good man, but, 
b-u-t he makes his mistakes, too." Again some one 
says: "Surely Sister B is a good woman," to which 
the reply is, "yes, she is a good woman, but ; but, yes, 
she is a good worker on committees, but, b-u-t." Do 
you see that kill spirit? Does it not often kill the in- 
fluence of that brother or sister? Calling down fire 
from heaven is not the only way to kill, but it can be 
done in many ways. Is there no remedy for this? 
Yes, surely. The way to get this spirit out of the 
hearts of men and women is for them, like the dis- 
ciples, to be sanctified ; for, after Pentecost, we never 
read of the disciples wanting to call down fire from 
heaven to consume any one. 

Christ not only prayed that His disciples should 
be sanctified, but He also gave to them the promise 



Redemption Completed. 145 

of the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, who should dwell 
in them, when His prayer was fulfilled in them, and 
they were sanctified. "And I will pray the Father, 
and He shall give you another Comforter, that He 
may abide with you forever ; even the Spirit of truth ; 
whom the world can not receive, because it seeth Him 
not, neither knoweth Him ; for He dwelleth with you 
and shall be in you." (St. John xiv, 16, 17). This 
promise was not made to the world, but to His dis- 
ciples; and Jesus said that the world could not re- 
ceive the Comforter, whom the Father would send. 
Now, He did not say that the Holy Spirit would not 
convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of 
judgment to come, for that is His office. Neither 
does He say that the sinner, who is awakened to his 
lost condition and seeks Christ, can not, through the 
Spirit, by faith in Christ, receive the evidence of the 
forgiveness of sins, for He does. But He means that 
the world can not receive the Holy Spirit as their 
abiding Comforter, as king supreme, enthroned in 
their lives, for He will not come into a heart to dwell 
until it is cleansed from all sin, sanctified, made pure. 
In whom was the prayer of Christ answered, and 
to whom was His promise fulfilled ? Not to the world, 
but to His disciples for whom He prayed, and to 
whom the promise was given. Immediately after the 
departure of the Savior, in obedience to His word, 
the disciples leave Mount Olivet and return to Jeru- 
salem. Entering through the east wall, they travel 
on through the whole length of the city to that f avor- 
10 



146 Redemption Completed. 

ite upper chamber on Mt. Zion, in the southwest cor- 
ner of the city, which memories had already hallowed, 
because Jesus had there so frequently edified them in 
His wonderful Bible-school. In this upper chamber 
assembled, not only the twelve apostles, but a com- 
pany of His disciples, male and female, numbering 
about one hundred and twenty. Among them was 
the mother of Jesus and His brothers. While the 
thronging multitudes of the outside world were busily 
engaged in pursuit of other things, with no time to 
think about God, no time to pray or tarry before 
Him, this little company of disciples had gathered in 
the upper room, and were tarrying for the Comforter. 
Here a wonderful scene is to be witnessed, a wonder- 
ful event is to occur. Preparation is being made for 
the coming of the promised Holy Ghost. The events 
which occurred in the upper room, during the prepa- 
ration for and the reception of the Holy Spirit, is 
pictured by a certain writer in the following lan- 
guage : 

"Our Lord ascended into heaven on Thursday. 
Flooded with the thrilling anticipations of His glori- 
ous prophetical fulfillments in the descension and in- 
carnation of the Holy Ghost, they go away to their 
mission hall on Mount Zion, thrilled with jubilant 
expectations. Some think the Lord will honor His 
ascension day and send the Comforter before the sun 
goes down. In this they are mistaken, and a night of 
prayer brings deep illuminations into their hearts. 
Friday, ever memorable for the crucifixion of our 



Redemption Completed. 147 

Lord, and the redemption of the world, brings a new 
inspiration to the rising tide of faith, intensified by 
Peter's fervent exhortation: 'Surely this is the glori- 
ous day when our Lord will baptize us with the Holy 
Ghost and fire/ Friday is fled and gone, and Satur- 
day, the old Jewish Sabbath, enters in. James and 
John are eloquent, thrilling all with their inspiring 
exhortations: 'Surely our Lord will honor the good 
old Sabbath of Moses and the prophets, and augment 
the hallowed memories of this glorious day by send- 
ing down the promised enduement/ Another night of 
prayer conduces to grander spiritual illuminations. 
Sunday ushers in. Mary's eyes sparkle, while elo- 
quent inspiration leaps from her lips: 'Surely our 
Lord will honor the glorious day of most hallowed 
memory, when He broke the fetters of the tomb and 
arose triumphant over sin, death and hell V These 
wonderful days, clustered about with the ineffaceable 
memories of stupendous miracles, unspeakably sacred 
to every loving disciple, have all flown away, and 'hope 
deferred maketh the heart sad/ Monday ushers in, 
fraught with no inspiring memories. Now, pros- 
trate on the floor, they cry to God. The Holy 
Ghost, with the effulgent lamp of His infallible 
scrutiny, goes down into the profound subterranean 
regions of their fallen spirits, revealing to Peter his 
cowardice, to Thomas his doubts, to James and 
John their ambition, and to all the dark dens of 
hissing serpents, the dismal lairs of roaring lions, 
the filthy kennels of snapping dogs, and the loath- 



148 Redemption Completed. 

some bogs of croaking frogs, swelling toads and 
poisonous scorpions, constituting the dismal debris 
of inbred sin, the satanic heredity of Adam the first. 
Tuesday follows, redeemed by no hallowed memo- 
ries. So they sink deeper into the dismal subter- 
ranean regions of original sin, contemplating with 
unspeakable mortification the gorgon horrors of he- 
reditary depravity revealed to the quickened spir- 
itual eye by the infallible Heart-Searcher. Wednes- 
day is commemorated by a deeper sinking out of 
self and still profounder illuminations, revealing 
the horrors of inbred sin. That day is commemo- 
rated in the experience of many, reaching rock bot- 
tom. Thursday ushers in like a sunburst from a 
world of clouds. Many exclaim, 'Glory to God for 
the triumphant ascension of our Lord on this hal- 
lowed day one week ago V Mary, in advance of her 
dispensation, had known the sweet experience of 
entire sanctification, sitting at the feet of Jesus, 
felicitously oblivious of all the world; as had Na- 
thanael, an 'Israelite indeed, in whom there is no 
guile/ Fortunately these two disciples stand on the 
high plane of cloudless sunshine, beneath the clear 
sky of Beulah Land, roaring inspiring shouts to their 
brethren and sisters amid the swellings of Jordan's 
terrifying floods. Old Peter is one of the first to 
heed the inspiring appeals of Mary and Nathanael, 
and dares to walk out in naked faith and trust the 
cleansing blood radically and thoroughly to purify 
his heart from all the vacillations and cowardice 



Redemption Completed. 149 

which had flooded him with intolerable disgrace. 
(Acts xv, 9.) John, with brilliant countenance, 
swings clear, by faith alone. Now they follow in 
platoons. Finally, doubting Thomas, with falter- 
ing tread, dares to set down his foot on Jordan's 
stormy billow. Friday floods them all with the in- 
effaceable memories of Calvary, when the Lord re- 
deemed the world by His flowing blood. Hence, the 
blood has honored that memorable day from dewy 
morn till dusky eve. It is significantly a day of 
victory. Saturday, the good old Jewish Sabbath, 
literally signifying the perfect rest of the soul in 
Jesus, is truly a crowning day on the battlefield of 
faith so memorable the last nine days. Wonderful 
and glorious is the soul rest in which they sink away. 
The second Sunday morning of those memorable 
ten days now gilds the Oriental skies, while the 
fair-fingered Aurora, the daughter of the dawn, is 
moving on tip-toe over great Mount Olivet. This 
is our Lord's glorious resurrection day. The battle 
has been fought on the bloody fields of consecra- 
tion and faith, and a ten days' prayer-meeting with- 
out intermission. They have gone down to the bot- 
tom-rock of Consecration, and prayed up to the tri- 
umphant altitudes of Faith. The battle is fought, 
the victory won, and Hope has spread her eagle 
pinions, ready for her celestial flight. They have 
spent the ten days on their knees, and prostrate on 
the floor. But they are done praying. They have 
prayed up to the highlands, where heavenly visions, 



150 Redemption Completed. 

in seraphic splendor, roll in floods of unearthly 
glory, inundating that memorable mission room with 
an electrical panorama of the long anticipated, de- 
scending Comforter. Hark ! the roar of a cyclone 
fills the firmament. Behold! forked tongues of 
flaming fire sit on every brow, and flood the room 
with unearthly illumination." — iGodbey's Commen- 
tary. 

It was not until the disciples had tarried and 
prayed, even upon their faces, for days and nights, 
that the Comforter came and filled them. Not be- 
cause it took the Holy Spirit that length of time to 
come, but because it took the disciples this length of 
time to realize a full consciousness of the depth of 
their depravity of fallen natures and by earnest 
prayer, wrestling, consecration and faith to apply 
the sanctifying blood of Jesus to their hearts, which 
delivered them from their depravity and pollution 
of nature, purifying them, restoring them to the im- 
age of the Creator, in the moral disposition of their 
souls. Then, and not until then, was the purpose 
of the death of Christ fulfilled in them, and salva- 
tion in them was complete. Here the Savior's prayer 
was not only answered in their behalf, but His prom- 
ise was fulfilled in them. They received the Com- 
forter. 

The entire city was aroused at this uproar, and 
men and women of all ranks and classes, rushed in 
from north, east, south and west to see what had 
occurred. Peter, who had played the coward dur- 



Redemption Completed. 151 

ing the trial and crucifixion of the Savior, but who 
repented immediately, having had all of his cow- 
ardice burned out of him by the fire of the Holy 
Ghost, arises and begins to declare the wonderful 
truths of the Gospel. "So the illiterate fisherman 
faces kings and potentates, and combined authori- 
ties of Church and State, panoplied by all the per- 
secutionary power of earth and hell, and without 
a flicker looks them squarely in the face and ar- 
raigns them at the judgment bar of God Almighty, 
charged with the murder of His Son, the Savior of 
the world. The countless multitude stands appalled, 
as if the archangel of doom had come down and 
was blowing his mighty trumpet, waking the dead 
and gathering the world to the judgment bar. Amid 
the forked lightnings of this gospel sermon, preached 
without preparation, grammar, or logic, thousands 
fall prostrate, as if a battery of a hundred cannons 
had been simultaneously turned upon them. They 
make Jerusalem roar and reverberate, 'What must 
we do T " 

Something remarkable had taken place. A new 
dispensation was ushered in. A remarkable epoch 
is marked in the history of the disciples. The prayer 
of Jesus was answered in them. They were sanc- 
tified, which prepared them for the fulfillment of 
the promise of the Comforter, who immediately 
came into their purified hearts, where He is en- 
throned as king of their lives. 

It is interesting and profitable to note the effect 



152 Redemption Completed. 

oi this wonderful event upon the lives of the apos- 
tles of Christ. They no longer dispute as to who 
snail be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The 
jealous disposition is cleansed away, and the kill 
spirit is gone fcrever. Having been filled with the 
Holy Spirit they each find a field of labor in which 
to preach the gospel; for the sake of which, ail 
with the exception of one, are compelled to suffer i 
martyr's death, and are permitted to wear a mar- 
tyr's crown. 

"Matthias went on preaching, taking Africa for 
Ins field of labor, wandering far away in Abyssinia, 
where he preached faithfully until he was honored 
with a martyr's crown. Mark also went to Africa, 
and finally suffered martyrdom in Alexandria, Egypt. 
being dragged by a cruel mob through the streets 
till he expired. Matthew also spent his life preach- 
ing in Africa, finally suffering martyrdom in a city 
of Ethiopia. Luke was hung on an olive-tree in 
Greece. Paul was beheaded by order of Nero, about 
one mile west of the Eoman wall. Peter was cruci- 
fied on the Campus Martius in Eome, with his head 
downward. Andrew became the apostle of Armenia 
where he faithfully preached till they crucified hir 
on a transverse cross. Philip was crucified in Asia 
Minor. Bartholomew preached faithfully in Phrygia, 
till ordered by the king to leave his country for- 
ever. Failing to obey the order, the enraged mon- 
arch had him skinned alive. Jude, the brother of 
our Lord, wandered far away into Northwestern 



Redemption Completed. 153 

Asia, preaching in Tartary and perhaps in China, 
till they put him to death by tying him up to a tree, 
and shooting his body full of arrows. James the 
Greater, the son of Zebedee and brother of John, was 
beheaded by Herod Antipas. James the Less, the 
son of Alpheus, was precipitated from a pinnacle of 
the temple in Jerusalem, and then beaten to death 
with a fuller's club. Thomas, the doubter, all of 
his doubts and cowardice having been burned up 
when he received the fiery baptism, preached his 
way far out into India, where he faithfully preached 
and witnessed for Jesus till his enemies ran a cruel 
iron bar through his body, and hung him up between 
two trees/' — Commentary. 

John was the only one of the apostles who died 
a natural death. Though wicked men sought to kill 
him, all of their plans failed. He lived to a ripe 
old age and died in his ninety-eighth year, and was 
buried at Ephesus. 

Having inquired the mind of Christ concerning 
the needs of His disciples, who walked with Him 
while upon earth, He has revealed it so plainly and 
definitely that surely none can intelligently ignore 
or dispute it. His disciples had a work before them, 
the convincing of the world, which it would be im- 
possible for them to accomplish without the expe- 
rience of sanctification. Much less could they be 
complete in the salvation which came through 
Christ, until the purpose of His death was complete 
in them. Now, that salvation is complete in them, 



154 Redemption Completed. 

they go forward upon their mission, knowing no fail- 
ure; and finally obtain that which every Christian 
might covet, a martyr's crown. 

It might be reasonably argued, and such argu- 
ment should satisfy every candid mind, that hav- 
ing ascertained the mind of Christ, as to the needs 
of one class of individuals, necessary for the com- 
pletion of salvation, we have discovered the needs 
of all; and having learned the mind of Christ as to 
that which is necessary to supply the needs of that 
class, we have learned the one and only remedy which 
all other classes need, for "all have sinned" and are 
alike polluted. Christ is no respecter of persons, 
and there is only one way by which man can be 
saved, and that is through the atonement made by 
Christ, the purpose of which is clearly revealed: 
first, to forgive sins, second, to sanctify. Conse- 
quently, in order to be delivered from the fall and 
its effects, all men, alike, need that one and only 
remedy, the blood of Christ. Hence we might con- 
clude that that which all Christians of to-day, who 
have been pardoned of their sins and are following 
Christ, need, is to be sanctified; for it was that 
which Christ knew to be necessary and indispensible 
in the case of those for whom He was praying. 

But we can look into the subject a little farther 
and settle the question beyond a doubt. Christ, who 
possessed omniscience, well knew that the succeed- 
ing generations of Christians would possess the same 
fallen and depraved natures as did His. disciples. 



Redemption Completed. 155 

But they shall be partakers of the same salvation, 
and share the same remedy with His disciples. He 
is not only interested in that small company who 
were with Him while He walked in the flesh, but 
here, while in earnest prayer to the Father, His 
great loving heart goes out for those who shall fol- 
low Him during centuries to come, and he cries, 
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also 
which shall believe on me through their word." 
(Verse 20.) 

We can trace the followers of Christ, generation 
after generation, from the time of Christ to the 
present, and all who have lived, or shall live; and 
every one knows that those who have believed or 
shall believe on Him, whether it be from the written 
gospel or preached word, have been led to believe on 
Him through the words of that little company of dis- 
ciples, who lived when He lived, walked upon earth 
with Him, and who were the first subjects of His 
prayer. Through these the New Testament, with 
its great story of love, has been given us; without 
which we would know nothing of the fulfillment of 
the Old, know nothing of the dying love of Jesus, 
and none of His blessed messages to mankind, con- 
sequently could not possibly believe upon Him. 

How beautifully He manifests His wisdom and 
love, as He makes the same prayer for those who 
"shall believe" on Him: "sanctify them." Note: 
His statement, "I pray not for the world," bears the 
same relation to the second request in the prayer of 



156 .Redemption Completed. 

Jesus, made for those "who shall believe," as it 
does to the first request, which was made for His 
immediate disciples — not for the world, but for those 
who shall believe. 

Here the argument produced is clearly proven 
from the mind of Infinite Wisdom. Christ knew 
that those who lived and those who should live were 
alike polluted and depraved and need the same rem- 
edy. He also knew that the mission of the Church 
is in all ages the same, the convincing of the world 
of Him, and He realized that the Christians of suc- 
ceeding generations would be no more able for the 
great work before them, without that oneness which 
is the result of being sanctified, than His disciples 
were at that time ; and that the purpose of His death 
is no more complete in them, until they are sanc- 
tified, than it was in His disciples who lived at 
that time. Note that He prayed not only for the 
twelve apostles, but for all who had separated them- 
selves from the world. 

Dear reader, are you a Christian? and has it ever 
been suggested to you that the disciples needed to be 
sanctified, but in your case it is unnecessary? It 
never occurred so in the mind of Christ, and He 
did not pray that way; and if you have received such 
a suggestion, it has come from the evil one, even 
the enemy of your soul, who is using every available 
means to keep you from having wrought in your 
heart the full purpose of the atonement. 

Eemember that Christ prayed this prayer for you, 



Redemption Completed. 157 

that you might be "sanctified," and the ministry 
and laity alike need it, as did the disciples. 0, 
for a sanctified ministry and laity! It is the will 
of Christ, and the purpose of His death. 

A careful study of the writings of the apostles, 
who lived after the Savior's departure, prove that 
they not only practiced, but preached, the glorious 
gospel of sanctification, and held it as essential to 
the full attainment of salvation. 

From the first it has been noted that man was 
created in the likeness of God; that he possessed 
purity of nature. The fall robbed him of his holi- 
ness and rendered him vile, guilty and polluted. Ee- 
demption, which is the plan arranged for the de- 
struction of sin, with all of its evil effects, will re- 
store man to holiness, and again stamp in him his 
Creator's image. Having thus attained unto the ful- 
fillment of the purpose of salvation, the individual 
is constituted pure, holy, and again reflects the like- 
ness of his Creator in the moral disposition of his 
soul. Eedemption has then completed its work in 
that individual, until the resurrection or translation 
of his body, whichever it may be (of which we 
have written in previous chapters), when it shall 
be changed from mortality to immortality, and bear 
again the "image of the heavenly." 

Salvation being complete in man, he is as pure 
and holy as he ever will be. However, many mistake, 
thinking that they have then reached the ultimatum 
of Christian experience, for there remains room for 



158 Redemption Completed. 

development, as the individual has now only reached 
the place where rapid growth and development is 
possible. (This phase of Christian experience will 
be treated further in a succeeding chapter on Chris- 
tian Perfection.) 

Thanks be to our Father and the Lord Jesus 
Christ, the Seed of the woman has bruised the ser- 
pent's head; the Son of God was manifested that 
He might destroy the works of the devil; a redemp- 
tion plan was conceived, a redemption power is be- 
ing operated, which covers every phase of the fall. 
It fathoms every depth, scales every height, meas- 
ures every length and breadth, so completely up- 
setting, tearing down, building up, melting, purify- 
ing, cleansing, renewing, restoring to man his holi- 
ness which was lost in the fall, giving to his body 
an immortality equal to that which he enjoyed be- 
fore sin touched him, giving to the earth, man's 
dwelling place, a beauty, loveliness and purity which 
could never have been excelled by an unf alien Eden. 
Glory to God forever! Wherever the trail of the 
serpent has gone, the blood of Jesus will follow. 
When all this has been wrought, with the many 
changes it will bring, which, as sure as God lives 
and Christ died, will be accomplished in His own 
time and order, will the work which was begun six 
thousand years ago and is being wrought every day, 
be completed. Then shall the deceiver and the de- 
ceived be destroyed. Then the darkness which has 



Redemption Completed. 159 

overhung the world in its fallen apostasy will be 
driven away forever. Then will break in the rosy 
morning of a grand and eternal order of events, in- 
conceivable to finite minds, indescribable by angels, 
never again to be disturbed by sin, nor touched with 
evil : a glorious theocracy, never again to be eclipsed. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Christian Perfection. 

THE subject of Perfection is one over which 
there is much controversy. This great amount 
of controversy is due to certain causes, the principal 
one being the lack of a proper investigation of the 
Word, and a misinterpretation of the same. 

It can not be doubted but that many good people 
are somewhat puzzled and confused over the subject. 
Many, however, will not investigate God's Word 
concerning this subject, from the fact that investi- 
gation brings light, light brings responsibility, and 
responsibility, shunned or neglected, brings condem- 
nation. Many do not wish to know, and hope to es- 
cape the responsibility of these truths upon the ex- 
cuse of ignorance. He who attempts this will be de- 
ceived, for God holds man responsible for that which 
he might know if he has had the opportunity of 
knowing. 

We believe that a prayerful investigation " of the 
Word will clear up the subject to any candid inquir- 
ing mind. The first question which presents itself 
is: Can man possibly be perfect in this life? Let 
us obtain our answer from the Word. Hear the 
testimony of God concerning a man who lived about 

160 



Redemption Completed. 161 

2448 B. C. : "Noah was a just man and perfect in 
his generations, and Noah walked with God." (Gen. 
vi, 9.) Here we are told that a perfect man did 
live in early Bible history. Bemember, this is not 
man's decision, but is God's testimony concerning 
him, and, surely, He who hath created man, and 
knoweth the very inward thoughts of man, is cap- 
able of judging correctly. He it is who looks deeper 
than outward appearances, goes below the surface and 
shallow things, and judges from the heart of man. 
When He declares a man to be perfect he is perfect. 

Again : Inspiration tells of another man who lived 
about 1520 B. C, and of him it was said that he 
was perfect. "There was a man in the land of Uz, 
whose name was Job, and that man was perfect and 
upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil." 
(Job i, 1.) 

God never requires any impossibility of man; nei- 
ther dare we charge Him of making demands of any 
person which he can not possibly meet ; but He com- 
manded Abraham to be perfect. And when Abram 
was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared 
to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty 
God; walk before me and be thou perfect." (Gen. 
xvii, 1.) 

Again: God commanded the Israelites to be per- 
fect. "Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy 
God." (Deut. xviii, 13.) 

The psalmist states in Psalms xxxvii, 37 : "Mark 
the perfect man and behold the upright; for the 
11 



162 Redemption Completed. 

end of that man is peace/' This text plainly in- 
dicates that there is a possibility of man being per- 
fect; otherwise, the command, or rather, challenge, 
for the observance of him would be useless. 

The above are a few references taken from the 
Old Testament scriptures, showing that God not only 
demanded perfection of His people, but that there 
were some who were perfect. Now then : If God re- 
quired perfection of His people who lived in the old 
dispensation of the law, He could not justly require 
less of His people who live in this new dispensation 
of grace. And if it were possible for man to be 
perfect, living in the shady twilight of the old dis- 
pensation, it is surely more gloriously possible for 
man to be perfect, living in the blazing sunlight of 
the new. 

It might here be stated, hoping that it be not mis- 
understood, that a higher type of perfection may be 
justly demanded of those who live in the present 
than was demanded of those who lived in centuries 
of the past. A man must be judged according to 
the age in which he lives, and the light which he 
possesses. Should any reader fault the persons re- 
ferred to above, whom the Word declares were per- 
fect, attempting to prove by their lives that they 
were not perfect, please take into consideration the 
age in which they lived and the light which they 
possessed. 

The next question is : Did Christ teach perfection, 
and demand it of His followers? 



Redemption Completed, 163 

Notice the words which fell from the lips of the 
blessed Christ, as a command to His disciples, in 
that memorable sermon on the mount : "Be ye there- 
fore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven 
is perfect." (Matt, v, 48.) Here Christ demanded 
perfection of His disciples in language clear, unmis- 
takable, and emphatic. Let this fact be emphasized 
here. However, we will return to this text for a 
clearer understanding of it. 

Perfection is not only taught by Christ, who de- 
manded it of His followers, but is taught through- 
out the epistles. Paul writes, in 2 Corinthians xiii, 
11 : "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of 
good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and 
the God of love and peace shall be with you." He 
also writes to Timothy (2 Tim. iii, 16, 17) : "All 
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is prof- 
itable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for 
instruction in righteousness. That the man of God 
may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good 
works." The marginal reading renders the word per- 
fected instead of perfect. In Colossians i, 28, we 
read: "Whom we preach, warning every man and 
teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may pre- 
sent every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Also in 
Colossians iv, 12 : "Epaphras, who is one of you, a 
servant of Christ, saluteth yon, always laboring fer- 
vently for yon in prayers, that ye may stand per- 
fect and complete in all the will of God." Paul also 
says to the Hebrews: "Therefore leaving the prin- 



164 Redemption Completed. 

ciples of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto 
perfection." (Heb. vi, 1.) St. James also taught 
perfection for the Christian: "But let patience have 
her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and en- 
tire, wanting nothing." (James i, 4.) The original 
of the word here rendered patience, say J. P. and 
B., implies more persevering endurance, or contin- 
uance; entire, that which has all of its parts com- 
plete." 

Thus we see that perfection was God^s standard 
for His people of the old dispensation. It was the 
battle-cry of the apostlic ministry, *the great salient 
truth, culminating in every epistle, and stood out 
sufficiently prominent in the teachings of Jesus to 
sweep all candid controversy from the field. 

These scriptures have established two facts : First, 
God required perfection of His people in ancient 
times, and second, He demands it of His people of 
to-day. 

Now, that which remains to be ascertained is the 
kind of perfection which God requires, and what 
the standard of that perfection is. 

It is not absolute perfection. That standard of 
perfection which can be termed absolute perfection 
belongs to God alone. He only is the self-existent. 
He only has an eternity of the past as well as the 
future. He only possesses omniscience, and is immut- 
able. Consequently, the standard of perfection re- 
quired of man is not absolute perfection. 

It is not angelic perfection. Man did not possess 



Redemption Completed. 165 

in his unfallen state, neither will he possess in this 
life, nor in the future when his body will have been 
glorified by redemption, a standard of angelic per- 
fection. Angels are not redeemed men, and re- 
deemed men will never become angels. Angels are a 
higher order of created beings, and possess an in- 
telligence superior to that which man ever did or 
ever will enjoy, hence that standard of perfection can 
not be expected of men. It is not angelic perfection 
which God demands. 

It is not Adamic perfection which God demands of 
living men. This conclusion is drawn from the fact 
that before Adam fell he enjoyed not only holiness 
of nature, but an immortality of body, although it 
was conditioned immortality. 

Man now, having attained to purity of heart, still 
possesses a mortal, decaying body, rendered such by 
the fall; and besides this his intellect, reasoning 
powers, and thinking faculties have been greatly im- 
paired through the effects of sin. 

Again: the perfection which God requires of His 
people is not resurrection perfection. That standard 
of perfection can only be attained to when redemption 
has wrought its work in man's body, glorifying it 
and making it immortal. 

It has been reserved until this time to say that 
Paul professed perfection where he says, "Let us 
therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded; 
and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall 
reveal even this unto you." (Phil, iii, 15.) Here 



166 Redemption Completed. 

the apostle claims perfection, not only for himself, 
but for some others; but he disclaims the 
perfection just mentioned, which is resurrection 
perfection, in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth 
verses of the same chapter: "That I -may know 
him, and the power of his resurrection, and the 
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conform- 
able unto His death ; If by any means I might attain 
unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though 
I had already attained, either were already perfect; 
but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for 
which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." The 
perfection referred to in these verses is resurrection 
perfection, which Paul did not yet possess. Some 
foolish people quote this scripture, attempting to 
prove that man can not be perfect in this life, thus 
making the apostle to flatly contradict himself in 
the fifteenth verse, where he claims to be perfect. 
There is no contradiction here. It only needs to be 
understood that Paul is speaking of two different 
standards of perfection : one which he did not yet pos- 
sess ; the other, the one which he had already attained 
to. The perfection which he disclaims is resurrec- 
tion perfection, which he should not receive until 
the end of his probation, and which man can not at- 
tain to until his complete restitution, when mortal- 
ity will be superseded by immortality. This per- 
fection, when attained to, will be in a sense a higher 
standard of perfection than Adamic perfection, for 
man will not only enjoy holiness of nature equal 



Redemption Completed. 167 

to that which Adam enjoyed, but an immortality of 
body not probationary or conditioned, never possi- 
ble to be rendered mortal again by sin. 

But the perfection which God requires is Christian 
perfection. It was that standard of perfection which 
Christ demanded of His disciples. When He com- 
manded them to be perfect, even as their Father 
which is in heaven is perfect, He did not mean that 
they must measure up to the same standard of per- 
fection with God, but as the Father enjoys absolute 
perfection, and as angels enjoy angelic perfection, 
even so His children should enjoy Christian perfec- 
tion. It is that perfection which is taught in every 
epistle, and the perfection of grace which Paul claims 
for himself and others. Christian perfection, then, 
is what God demands of His people. 

Now we seek to know what is meant by Christian 
perfection. Perfection is the noun form of the ad- 
jective perfect. Perfect is from the Latin, facio, 
to make, and per, complete. Perfection, then, means 
completion. The word in the Greek, which is trans- 
lated perfect in the English, is said to be the strongest 
adjective in the Greek language, descriptive of a work 
actually and absolutely finished. What, then, is that 
finished work? It is the work which Jesus came to 
perform in human hearts. 

Christian perfection means the attainment to the 
completed work of grace, purposed for man in the 
death of Jesus Christ. Inasmuch, then, as reviewed 
in previous chapters, as it has been seen that Christ 



168 Redemption Completed. 

not only gave himself to forgive man's actual trans- 
gressions, but to sanctify him, not only to deliver 
him from the guilt but from the pollution of sin, 
even so man is not perfected or completed until this 
twofold work of grace has been wrought in him. 
Being complete in Christ, or, in other words, hav- 
ing attained to Christian perfection, means the res- 
toration of the image of Jesus Christ in man, so that 
he again reflects the image of his Creator. This 
brings man into the state which God demanded of 
His people in ancient times, in Leviticus xix, 2 : 
"Speak unto all the congregation of the children of 
Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I 
the Lord your God am holy;" and in Leviticus xx, 
7 : "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and ye be holy : 
for I am the Lord your God." It also brings the 
individual into the state of grace which God demands 
of His people to-day: "But as he which hath called 
you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversa- 
tion, Because it is written, Be ye holy for I am 
holy" (1 Peter i, 15, 16), and the state of grace, 
without which, no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 
xii, 14). 

Synonymous terms with Christian perfection are 
holiness, sanctification, perfect love, etc. 

Christian perfection is not the full development 
of the individual. He is as holy and as pure as he 
ever will become, and all that he can add to his ex- 
perience is quantity, not quality. A great many peo- 
ple fail to distinguish between quality and quantity. 



Redemption Completed. 169 

Quantity can be superior to quality only in the size 
of its bulk. Consequently the Christian may obtain 
a larger amount of love, a larger quantity, but the 
quality will be the same. Purity is the same qual- 
ity as maturity, the only difference being the quan- 
tity may be smaller. In this way development is 
made. This completion is not attained by growth, 
but by grace, and places the individual in a posi- 
tion for the development of graces attained. Many 
entertain a wrong idea of what such a work of grace 
will do for man. 

Christian perfection does not; deliver man beyond 
temptations. There will never be a time in the life 
of the Christian when he will not be subject to temp- 
tation. Temptations are necessary for the testing 
of our faith and courage, and are a part of man's 
probation. It is by that means that God allows His 
children to be tried by the devil ; and by their faith- 
fulness and loyalty in temptations He shows to Satan 
what salvation does for man, and proves to him that 
where sin once reigned, there grace now reigns. It 
is not sin to be tempted. It is yielding to the temp- 
tation which is sin. Even Jesus, when upon earth, 
was tempted of the devil. (Mark i, 13.) 

Satan often comes to the Christian and tempts 
him, and when he will not yield to his temptation 
he accuses him of a lack of a perfect experience be- 
cause he is tempted. Do not allow Satan to deceive 
you. Christian perfection does not free from temp- 
tations. St. James exhorts: "My brethren, count it 



170 Redemption Completed. 

all joy when ye fall into divers tempt ations, knowing 
this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." 
(James i, 2, 3.) 

Christian perfection does not place man beyond 
the possibility of falling. Man's probation does not 
end until the close of life, and there is a possibility 
that he may fall. While the probabilities of falling 
may lessen as one nears the end of a faithful Christ- 
ian life, the possibility to fall remains as long as 
probation lasts. To the individual who is perfected 
in Christ, and remains true to his Savior, nothing 
can be more positive in the universe than a blessed 
future for him. But it was because of the danger 
of falling that Christ admonished His disciples to 
watch and pray. It is because of this that we are so 
earnestly exhorted to prayer, watchfulness, and con- 
stancy, in apostolic writings. Man never reaches a 
place in life where watching and prayer are not nec- 
essary. 

Neither does Christian perfection place man be- 
yond infirmities and the possibility of mistakes. 
Here, doubtless, lies the great point of misunder- 
standing. People who do not understand the doc- 
trine, think that Christian perfection should free 
from infirmities, and critics are making light of the 
doctrine, because they discover infirmities and mis- 
takes in the lives of those who profess to be perfect. 
In this they are mistaken. These infirmities and 
mistakes are not sin, but the results of an impaired 
body and intellect, through the effects of sin. Con- 



Redemption Completed. 171 

sequently there is a possibility that man may do the 
wrong thing while aiming to do the right. These 
infirmities and mistakes do not bring condemnation, 
although they are necessarily included in the atone- 
ment, by which they are covered, like the innocent 
wrong-doings of the little child. This perfection, 
then, is not perfection of the head, meaning intellect, 
reason, and judgment, but the perfection of the heart. 
The only kind of perfection taught in the Bible for 
mortal men is heart perfection. Justification takes 
away man's guilt, sanctification removes his deprav- 
ity, making him perfect in Christ, but it takes glorifi- 
cation to remove his infirmities. 

This is not a compromise nor an apology for those 
who commit willful transgressions, and desire to 
make believe that the act is only a mistake or an in- 
firmity. Let none receive it as such. It is only the 
setting forth of the doctrine in its proper light. Men 
may succeed in deceiving others, even their friends 
and relatives; but He who knoweth the hearts of 
men can not be deceived, and He distinguishes, with- 
out man's pretence or testimony between actual sins 
and infirmities. 

The service which Christian perfection renders to 
the Father may be a very imperfect service in this 
sense, but, however imperfect the service may be, if it 
is rendered from a pure heart, filled with perfect 
love, and beneath every act and word lies that pure, 
unselfish, Christlike motive, that service is highly 
pleasing and acceptable to the Father. 



172 Redemption Completed 

This is a part of the doctrine concerning which 
holiness people need instruction. There is danger 
of confounding the doctrine of resurrection perfec- 
tion, which changes man's body from a mortal to 
an immortal, and delivers from infirmities, with 
Christian perfection, which purifies one's heart and 
fills it with perfect love, but does not exempt from 
these things. 

John Wesley said : "Putting the standard too high 
is the greatest of all errors, as it is calculated to 
drive the experience out of the world/' While it 
is absolutely necessary to place the standard high, 
where it belongs, there is a possibility of placing it 
so high, where none can reach it. 

Now let us sum up the whole matter. Christian 
perfection does not free us from temptations, does 
not deliver beyond the possibility of falling, and the 
necessity of watchfulness and pra}^er. It does not 
place man beyond infirmity and the possibility of 
mistakes, but it does expel from his heart all sin, 
worldliness, anger, pride, selfishness and every un- 
holy temper and desire, and fills him with perfect 
love. 

A proper understanding of these facts will surely 
clear up the subject to every truth-seeking soul, and 
lead to that perfection which God requires — Chris- 
tian Perfection. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

The Sinless Life. 

THE above title suggests two things: the ex- 
perimental and the practical parts of salvation. 
The latter is dependent upon the former. Other chap- 
ters have been devoted to the experimental, and it 
is intended that this chapter bhall be devoted to one 
of the practical phases of salvation. 

It is our purpose here to prove from the Word 
that man, having obtained salvation, being delivered 
from the guilt and pollution of sin, will be enabled, 
by grace, to live without sin, and that this is the 
standard of life, for the Christian., required by God. 

There are many who are making awful failures 
in their attempt to live the Christian life. Their 
every-day life is inconsistent with their profession, 
and their conduct, in word and action, proves that 
they are not in possession of the love of Christ. What 
is wrong? The secret is, they have not the right 
experience, consequently can riot have the right prac- 
tice. ISTo individual can live right in practice until 
he becomes right in experience. This is the secret 
of the true Christian life. 

There is great reason to believe that the inconsist- 
encies on the part of people who profess to be Chris- 

173 



174 Redemption Completed. 

tians are driving more people into skepticism and 
infidelity than all of the writings of Voltaire and 
Ingersoll together. 

It is true, there are so many counterfeits in the 
world that one can scarcely exhort others to accept 
salvation, and become a Christian, until some pro- 
fessor, who does not know the power of Jesus' blood 
by a blessed experience, consequently whose life is 
not right by practice, is referred to as a stumbling- 
block. Because of these hypocrites, some are foolish 
enough to try to argue away the genuineness of the 
Christian religion. But the fact that there is a coun- 
terfeit of a thing simpty proves that there is a genu- 
ine somewhere ; for no man is foolish enough to man- 
ufacture a counterfeit of anything, whether it be 
money or any other article, of which there is not a 
genuine somewhere; for he would be detected at 
once. Likewise, Satan is too crafty and cunning to 
manufacture a counterfeit, to present to man, of 
which there is no genuine. Satan is a deceiver, an 
expert of six thousand years' practice. He has suc- 
ceeded in the seduction of man, plunging the entire 
human family into a gulf of despair. Since the plan 
of Satan, in the fall of man, is defeated by redemp- 
tion, and since it, in its relation to man is based 
upon his acceptance of it, it is now the work of Satan 
to keep men and women from accepting it. This ef- 
fort is made in various ways. If Satan can not keep 
the individual entirely indifferent upon the subject 
of salvation, he will offer, for the easing of the trou- 



Redemption Completed. 175 

bled conscience a substitute, instead of salvation. 
Instead of having the healing remedy applied, which 
is the blood of Jesus, which heals the sin-sick soul, 
many are being deceived, and are allowing them- 
selves to be drugged with Satan's anaesthetics, sub- 
stitutes which serve for a temporary easing of the 
conscience, instead of a deliverance from sin. Satan 
is completely satisfied with the individual who is 
being drifted along by time without making an ef- 
fort toward salvation, for he is certain that if he 
remains in that condition he will never be saved. 
Satan does his utmost to keep men satisfied in an 
unsaved condition. He employs different means and 
plans for this purpose. When the individual is awak- 
ened by the Spirit and the Word, to a knowledge of 
his condition, finds himself lost and ruined, without 
Christ, and begins to inquire after salvation, it is 
then Satan comes with his substitutes, some of them 
beautifully appearing ones, which he offers to the 
anxious soul, allowing him to select for himself the 
one most plausible. It makes no difference to Satan 
which of the substitutes are selected, only that the 
individual does not obtain the salvation through 
Christ which delivers from the guilt and pollution 
of sin. 

Among the many substitutes Satan suggests, these 
are a few of the principal ones: Church- joining 
without salvation, baptism, trusting in it as a sav- 
ing ordinance, catechisms and confirmation; reform- 
ing; performing deeds of charity and philanthropy. 



176 Redemption Completed. 

These, although all right in their places, can never 
take the place of salvation, and will never save the 
soul. But many there are to-day who, instead of 
having met the Savior's conditions for salvation and 
receiving the application of the blood, to deliver from 
the guilt and cleanse from the pollution of sin, have 
accepted one or more of these substitutes and are 
deceived. They have a Church membership, profess 
to be Christians, have the forms of godliness, but 
have not the love of Christ in their hearts. 

A result of a substitute, instead of a genuine sal- 
vation, is a sinning religion; not a sinning salvation, 
for there is nothing like it — but a sinning religion. 
Eeligion is not salvation, but a form of worship. 

Almost every one is acquainted with the fact that 
there are many religions in the world. There is the 
Catholic, Mohammedan, the Buddhist, and many 
other religions, but there is only one salvation, and 
that is brought about through Jesus Christ. 

It is not exaggeration to say that the majority of 
Church members and professors believe in, or at 
least practice, a sinning religion. In fact, we are liv- 
ing in an age when there is scarcely a distinction be- 
tween the Church and the world. Their actions, con- 
versation, habits, customs, and dealings are almost 
the same. The Church and the world have locked 
arms, and are going along together upon one com- 
mon plane. Why is it?- Is it because the world has 
come up on a higher plane, to join with the Church? 
No ; it is because the Church has sacrificed her grace, 



Redemption Completed. 177 

love and humility, and has stepped down upon a 
level with the world. As a result of this, the stand- 
ard which is borne by the Church of to-day is that 
of a sinning religion. Such a standard of living fails 
entirely of measuring up to the requirements of 
Heaven. It becomes necessary, in this age of decep- 
tion, to sound forth some clear notes of warning, and 
to lift up the standard for the people. The stand- 
ard should not be brought down to the people, but 
the people should be brought up to the standard. 
Let us seek to know the mind of the Lord concerning 
this subject. His will is the standard of every true 
Christian. The only thing for us to do is to take 
His life as our pattern and His words as guide. 

It seems that to use space and time to argue that 
the life of Christ was a sinless life, and that His 
walk was a sinless walk, would be unnecessary. That 
upon the innocent, spotless character of that blessed 
Christ, in whose loving heart no mischief was ever 
conceived, from whose self-denying life no evil ac- 
tion ever proceeded, from whose blessed lips no un- 
kind words ever fell, but whose entire life was spent 
relieving the suffering, blessing the needy in a thou- 
sand varied forms, and through His life and death a 
full salvation is offered to a fallen race — that upon 
such an one should be heaped an accusation of sin 
is a shame. Is there a wretch so vile, who dare make 
such accusation? There would be occasion for re- 
joicing were these accusations confined to those who 
reject His Messiahship, or deny His divinity; but 
12 



1^8 Redemption Completed. 

occasionally, here and there, an individual steps out 
and, as a last resort to defend the rights of the so- 
called sinning Christian, makes the same accusation. 
But this argument is so debased and unworthy, that 
we shall give it no notice. 

Admitting, then, that the life and walk of Christ 
was sinless, the injunction of the inspired writer is 
"walk even as He walked" — a sinless life, or a life 
without sin. 

A doctrine is now being preached from many pul- 
pits that man can not live without sin, but that he 
must sin every day in word, thought, and deed. These 
three avenues are the ways through which man's 
life is lived out. Then, to argue that he must sin 
in all of these ways is ridiculous. The devil himself 
could scarcely do worse than this. Who ever heard 
of a sinning Christian? This is a contradiction of 
terms, and we might as well talk of a holy devil as 
a sinning Christian. Such a doctrine is contrary to 
the Scriptures, for they declare, "He that committeth 
sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the 
beginning. . . . Whosoever is born of God doth not 
commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him, and he 
can not sin, because he is born of God. In this the 
children of God are manifest, and the children of 
the devil." (1 John iii, 8, 9, 10.) In other words, 
this is the way by which the Christian may be dis- • 
tinguished from the unsaved. Let us see: A man 
who farms is what ? A farmer. The man who sows 
is what? A sower. A man who reaps is what? A 



Redemption Completed. 179 

reaper. The one who sings is what? A singer. 
Likewise a man who sins is what? He is a sinner, 
no more or less. Is this not sound logic? Whether 
in or out of the Church, the person who sins is a 
sinner, and no distinction can be made between them, 
except it be that the sinner in the Church, professing 
to be a Christian, is in a worse condition, because 
he is acting the hypocrite and is in a position harder 
to reach, with a Church cloak thrown around him, 
than the out-broken sinner. 

The individual who advocates a sinning religion, 
whether he be of the ministry or laity, confesses one 
thing at least; and that is that a sinning religion is, 
at least, the highest standard of his life; a confes- 
sion of which the Scriptural interpretation would be 
that he is of the devil, for "He that committeth sin 

is of the devil." (1 John iii, 8.) 

Every one must admit, as Paul says in Eomans 
iii, 23, "That all have sinned and come short of 
the glory of God ;" and all have been sinners, for St. 
John testifies, "If we say that we have not sinned, 
we make him a liar, and his Word is not in us." 
(1 John i, 10.) Many times have individuals, in 
defense of a sinning religion, attempted to quote 
this verse something like this: "He that saith that 
he sinneth not is a liar and the truth is not in him ;" 
and doubtless, reader, you have heard it quoted that 
way; but it is a mistake, and an exposition of ig- 
norance and lack of Bible knowledge. 

Neither do we claim that any one is born into the 



180 ^ Redemption Completed. 

world with any other disposition than of sin, for 
John expresses the condition of the heart and man's 
natural tendency to sin, in 1 John i, 8 : "If we say 
that we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the 
truth is not in us." This is expressive of man's 
sinful condition. But in the following verse he gives 
a remedy by which man's sins may not only be for- 
given, but by which he may be cleansed from all 
unrighteousness, constituting man a Christian freed 
from sin. Note it: "If we confess our sins, he is 
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse 
us from all unrighteousness." 

Yet people insist that it is impossible to live with- 
out sinning. Far be it from oar Savior, who was pos- 
sessed with infinite wisdom, the inconsistency of 
making demands of His subjects which they would be 
utterly unable to fulfill. 

Who would accuse Christ of such folly in His 
demands of the impotent man whom he healed ? This 
man was found of Jesus when he went up to the 
feast at Jerusalem. He was lying by the pool of 
Bethesda. With him were a number of impotent folk 
waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel 
went down at a certain season into the pool and 
troubled the water; whosoever then first after the 
troubling of the water stepped in was made whole 
of whatsoever disease he had. This poor man, who 
had an infirmity thirty and eight years was there; 
but when the water was troubled there was no man 
to help him in, and every time some one stepped in 



Redemption Completed. 181 

before mm. But when Jesus saw him, He said un- 
to him, "Wilt thou be made whole ?" also, "Kise, take 
up thy bed and walk." And immediately the man 
was made whole and took up his bed and walked. 
Afterwards Jesus findeth him in the temple and 
said unto him, "Behold thou art made whole; sin 
no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." (St. 
John v. 14.) Who would accuse Christ of the in- 
justice of demanding of this poor man an impossi- 
bility ? 

Again, at another time, the scribes and Pharisees 
brought unto Him a woman taken in 'adultery. When 
they had set her in the midst, thej r say unto Him: 
"Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the 
very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us 
that such should be stoned; but what sayest Thou? 
This they said, tempting Him, that they might have 
to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with 
His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard 
them not. So when they continued asking, He lifted 
up Himself and said unto them, He that is without 
sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And 
again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 
And they which heard it, being convicted by their 
own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at 
the eldest, even unto the last; and Jesus was left 
alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When 
Jesus had lifted up Himself and saw none but the 
woman, He said unto her, Woman, where are those 
thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? He 



182 Redemption Completed. 

said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and 
sin no more." (St. John viii, 3-11.) Should any- 
one charge Jesus with the cruelty of demanding of 
this poor woman something she could not possibly 
do? Would Christ, in partiality, demand of these 
something which He does not demand of others, and 
of those whom He saves to-day ? Surely not. "Neither 
is there respect of persons with him;" and He com- 
mands every one who would be His followers to 
"awake to righteousness and sin not." (1 Cor. xv, 
34.) 

Cease from sin. Not that man is able to do this 
in his own strength, but by the assistance of Him 
who said, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the 
end of the world." (Matt, xxviii, 20.) "And who 
will not suffer you to be tempted above that which 
you are able to bear, but will with every temptation 
make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear 
it" (1 Cor. x, 13), and who said, "My grace is 
sufficient for thee" (2 Cor. xii, 9). 

It is surprising how anxious people are to misin- 
terpret scriptures which describe the natural man in 
an unsaved condition, so as to make a refuge behind 
which to hide, and as an excuse for a sinful life, 
though professing Christians. How frequently are 
professed Christians, who know very little about the 
Bible, and still less about salvation, heard to defend 
a life of sinning by quoting the passage, "There is 
none that doeth good, no, not one," or "there is none 
righteous, no, not one." Surely those who attempt 



Redemption Completed. 183 

to defend a sinning religion, and are certain that 
they have found an unanswerable argument in favor 
of it, are ignorant, or, at least, silent, of the suc- 
ceeding verses, which give a part of the same picture, 
or complete the description of the ones mentioned in 
the text, "There is none righteous, no, not one." 
They seem to have a misconception of the meaning 
of these words. Paul has borrowed these texts from 
the psalmist, in the 14th and 53d Psalms, where he 
is giving a picture of the apostasy of man, telling 
what the Lord saw when He looked down from heaven 
after man had fallen. The apostle now goes on to 
emphasize the mischief and evil conceived in the 
heart and practiced in the lives of wicked, fallen, 
sinful man, and says: "It is written, There is none 
righteous, no not one : There is none that under- 
standeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They 
are all gone out of the way, they are together become 
unprofitable : there is none that doeth good, no, not 
one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their 
tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is 
under their lips : whose mouth is full of cursing and 
bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: De- 
struction and. misery are in their ways : And the way 
of peace have they not known." (Eom. iii, 10-17.) 
Now who will decide that this is a picture of the 
Christian, whose name means a follower of Christ, 
and whose life is the purest, noblest, and holiest 
life lived? Would not all agree that, should this 
be a picture of the purest and holiest of humanity, 



184 Redemption Completed. 

surely man's condition would be hopeless, and his 
end destruction? Suffice it to say, this is man's 
vile, sinful and fallen state; but unto those who ac- 
cept the Christ, He becomes their righteousness, "For 
he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no 
sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God 
in him" (2 Cor. v, 21) ; and this is the name whereby 
He shall be called: "The Lord Our Righteousness." 
(Jer. xxiii, 6.) These texts are not in the least con- 
fusing, when viewed in the right light. 

There is one more thought under the topic which 
deserves our careful thought. To be charitable, it 
^iay be admitted that there are, doubtless, some hon- 
est, good meaning people, who are wonderfully con- 
fused with this subject, and among this class are 
ministers who are working to bring souls to Christ, 
and yet have been known to speak lightly and re- 
flectingly of those who profess to live without sin, 
and of the doctrine of a sinless life. Should these 
be sincere and honest, this failure could be attrib- 
uted to no other source than ignorance and confu- 
sion. Though they may not be fully aware of it, a 
great amount of harm is being done by such teach- 
ing. 

The above defined position can only^ be excused 
on the ground that mistakes, cr accidents, committed 
unintentionally, and could not be avoided, are counted 
as sins which are not counted as such with the Lord. 
From a technical standpoint it might be acknowl- 
edged that whatever commission would violate any 



Redemption Completed. 185 

command or law might be termed sin; but the 
guilt or crime of the act in the sight of God is 
based upon the motive or intent of the heart. Here 
is a bit of history which beautifully illustrates this 
fact. 

In ancient times, when one man would kill an- 
other, it was the custom that, as a punishment for 
the crime, the nearest male relative would pursue and 
slay the murderer. Many murders were committed, 
and this was the revenge taken for the crime. Oc- 
casionally, however, an accident would occur, which 
would result in the death of one; an accident un- 
premeditated, wholly unavoidable. Such a one as 
given by the Lord in Deut. xix, 5 : A man going 
into the wood with his neighbor to hew timber, and 
while the two are chopping down a tree, the ax of 
the one comes loose from the handle, strikes the 
other man and kills him. In this the man has trans- 
gressed the law, for it says: "Thou shalt not kill." 
He has killed, but accidentally, or unavoidably. Is 
he a murderer in the sight of God? Let us see: 
The Lord commanded the people to appoint them six 
cities of refuge, three on each side of the river Jor- 
dan, convenient and accessible. The purpose of 
these cities of refuge was, that should one man slay 
another he might flee to the city of refuge; and 
should he succeed in reaching it before the avenger 
of blood should overtake him, he would be safe until 
he should stand before the congregation to be judged, 
and the cause of the crime ascertained. If it be 



186 Redemption Completed. 

found that the man had hated his neighbor before- 
time, and laid wait for him and slew him, he should 
be guilty, and they should deliver him into the hands 
of the avenger of blood, and without pity he should 
be slain as a penalty for his crime. But if the man 
had killed his neighbor by accident, or unwittingly, 
he should be innocent, and should not be delivered 
into the hands of the avenger of blood to pay the 
penalty for crime, but should be protected from dan- 
ger. This clearly sets forth the fact that the mo- 
tive determines the guilt in the sight of Heaven; 
and we draw justly from the figure that the Lord 
looks upon anything unavoidable, accidental, or un- 
wittingly with allowance, and would not hold guilty 
in such cases. However, whatever might be an evil 
result, even from an unavoidable occurrence, the 
Christian is multiplied-times willing to correct. 
Transgressions, such as these, are the only ones which 
we would dare to admit as occurring in the lives of 
true Christians, and are not accounted as sin. 

Here we discover that the result of, and conclu- 
sion of, our investigation beautifully harmonizes 
with the familiar scripture already quoted: "Who- 
soever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his 
seed remaineth in him; and he can not sin, because 
he is born of God." (1 John iii, 9.) 

Occasionally we hear individuals who believe in, 
preach, and practice a sinning religion, attempt to 
burlesque those who believe in and practice a sinless 
life, accusing them of professing a state of grace 



Redemption Completed. 187 

from which they can not fall. Those who advocate 
a sinless life are sometimes falsely accused of saying 
that no matter what they should do, it would not 
be sin for them. This is a false accusation; for we 
do not advocate the impossibility of falling from 
grace, but the impossibility of sinning in a saved 
relationship with the Father. 

The above text should not be construed to mean 
that man's free agency or possibility to sin is taken 
away. Such an interpretation is misleading. "He 
can not sin" while, or because, this seed, God's seed, 
Christ, remains in him. No man can sin with Christ 
in him, because sin is conceived in the heart and 
can not be committed until conceived; and the in- 
stant that sin is allowed to be conceived in the 
heart, Christ is driven out, even before the act is 
committed. Consequently, any sin conceived in the 
heart drives out Christ; and should the individual 
fail to carry out the conceived sin for lack of op- 
portunity, he is, in the estimation of Heaven, a 
criminal, just as though the sin were carried out, or 
committed. 

Prayerful and honest investigation of the subject 
results in an indisputable, unanswerable conclusion, 
that the Bible standard of the Christian, constituted 
as such through the salvation of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, by the atoning efficacy of His blood, is a sin- 
less life. 

It would be highest folly to charge a plan, arranged 
in heaven, conceived in the mind of infinite wisdom, 



188 Redemption Completed. 

executed by the Son of God, of failing to accomplish 
its purpose. 

It was previously announced by the archangel Ga- 
briel to Joseph, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus, 
for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matt, 
i, 21) ; not in sin, but from sin. His purpose is not 
in vain, or His plan a failure. 

Beloved, should any one have gone aside or sinned, 
remember, we have an advocate with the Father. Ke- 
pent, forsake, and humbly seek to have the full pur- 
pose of the blood of Jesus, with all of its efficacy, 
fulfilled in your heart; lifting you out of a life of 
sinning into a plane of Christian experience, where 
you will find it possible, easy, and glorious to "walk 
even as he walked." 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Vision of Mirza. 

THE following is from an Oriental manuscript, 
which was picked up in Grand Cairo, and 
translated into the English language by Joseph Ad- 
dison. 

The writer, when but a small boy, attending 
school, found it in his reader, from which he read 
it with great pleasure. He has read and reread it 
with increasing delight, and believes that it will have 
a lifelong impression upon him. He has used it in 
public to illustrate human life, and has discovered 
that audiences have been captivated by it. Feeling 
grateful for the pleasure and benefits received from 
it, he considers it a privilege and pleasant duty to 
give it to the public, and nothing could be more ap- 
propriate and befitting as a closing chapter to this 
little volume. It is here given word for word, as 
follows : 

On the fifth day of the moon — which, according 
to the custom of my forefathers, I always keep holy 
— after having washed myself and offered up my 
morning devotions, I ascended the high hills of Bag- 
dat, in order to pass the rest of the day in medita- 
tion and prayer. As I was here airing myself on the 

189 



190 Redemption Completed. 

tops of the mountains, I fell into a profound con- 
templation on the vanity of human life; and, pass- 
ing from one thought to another, "Surely/' said I, 
"man is but a shadow, and life a dream." 

While I was musing, I cast my eyes toward the 
summit of a rock that was not far from me, where 
I discovered one in the habit of a shepherd, with 
a little musical instrument in his hand. As I looked 
upon him, he applied it to his lips, and began to play 
upon it. The sound of it was exceedingly sweet, and 
wrought into a variety of tunes that were inexpress- 
ibly melodious, and altogether different from any- 
thing I had ever heard. They put me in mind of 
those heavenly airs that are played to the departed 
souls of good men upon their first arrival in para- 
dise, to wear out the impressions of the last agonies, 
and qualify them for the pleasures of that happy 
place. My heart melted away in secret raptures. 

I had been often told that the rock before me was 
the haunt of a genius, and that several had been enter- 
tained with music who passed by it, but never heard 
that the musician had before made himself visible. 
When he had raised my thoughts by those trans- 
porting airs which he played, to taste the pleasures 
of his conversation, as I looked upon him like one 
astonished, he beckoned to me, and, by the waving 
of his hand, directed me to approach the place where 
he sat. I drew near with that reverence which is due 
to a superior nature; and, as my heart was entirely 
subdued by the captivating strains I had heard, I 



Redemption Completed. 191 

fell down at his feet and wept. The genius smiled 
upon me with a look of compassion and affability 
that familiarized him to my imagination, and at once 
dispelled all the fears and apprehensions with which 
I approached him. He lifted me from the ground, 
and, taking me by the hand, "Mirza," said he, "I 
have heard thee in thy soliloquies. Follow me!" He 
then led me to the highest pinnacle of the rock, and 
placing me on the top of it, "Cast thine eyes east- 
ward," said he, "and tell me what thou seest." 

"I see," said I, "a huge valley, and a prodigious 
tide of water running through it." 

"The valley that thou seest," said he, "is the vate 
of misery, and the tide of water that thou seest is 
part of the great tide of eternity." 

"What is the reason," said I, "that the tide I see 
rises out of a thick mist at one end, and again loses 
itself in a thick mist at the other ?" 

"What thou seest," said he, "is that portion of 
eternity which is called Time, measured out by the 
sun, and reaching from the beginning of the world 
to its consummation. 

"Examine now," said he, "this sea that is bounded 
with darkness at both ends, and tell me what thou 
discoverest in it." 

"I see a bridge," said I, "standing in the midst 
of the tide." 

"The bridge thou seest," said he, "is Human Life ; 
consider it attentively." 

Upon a more leisurely survey of it, I found that 



192 Redemption Completed. 

it consisted of threescore and ten entire arches, with 
several broken arches, which, added to those that 
were entire, made up the number to about a hundred. 
As I was counting the arches, the genius told me 
that this bridge consisted at first of a thousand 
arches, but that a great flood swept away the rest, 
and left the bridge in the ruinous condition I now 
beheld it. 

But tell me further," said he, "what thou dis- 
coverest on it." 

"I see multitudes of people passing over it," said 
I, "and a black cloud hanging on each end of it." 

As I looked more attentively, I saw several of the 
passengers dropping through the bridge into the great 
tide that flowed underneath it; and, upon further 
examination, perceived there were innumerable trap- 
doors that lay concealed in the bridge, which the pas- 
sengers no sooner trod upon but they fell through 
them into the tide, and immediately disappeared. 
These hidden pitfalls were set very thick at the en- 
trance of the bridge, so that throngs of people no 
sooner broke through the cloud, but many of them 
fell into them. They grew thinner toward the mid- 
dle, but multiplied and lay closer together toward 
the end of the arches that were entire. 

There were, indeed, some persons, but their num- 
ber was very small, that continued a kind of hob- 
bling march on the broken arches, but fell through 
one after another, being quite tired and spent with 
so long a walk. 



Redemption Completed. 193 

I passed some time in the contemplation of this 
wonderful structure, and the great variety of objects 
which it presented. My heart was filed with a deep 
melancholy to see several dropping unexpectedly in 
the midst of mirth and jollity, and catching at every- 
thing that stood by them to save themselves. Some 
were looking up toward the heavens in a thoughtful 
posture, and in the midst of speculation, stumbled, 
and fell out of sight. Multitudes were very busy in 
the pursuit of bubbles that glittered in their eyes 
and danced before them; but often, when they 
thought themselves within the reach of them, their 
footing failed, and down they sank. In this con- 
fusion of objects I observed some with cimeters in 
their hands, who ran to and fro upon the bridge, 
thrusting several persons on trap-doors which did 
not seem to lie in their way, and which they might 
have escaped had they not been thus forced upon 
them. 

The genius, seeing me indulge myself on this mel- 
ancholy prospect, told me I had dwelt long enough 
upon it. "Take thine eyes off the bridge," said he, 
"and tell me if thou seest anything thou dost not 
comprehend." 

Upon looking up, "What mean," said I, "those 
great flights of birds that are perpetually hovering 
about the bridge, and settling upon it from time to 
time? I see vultures, harpies, ravens, cormorants, 
and, among many other feathered creatures, several 



194 Redemption Completed. 

little winged boys, that perch in great numbers upon 
the middle arches." 

"These/' said the genius, "are Envy, Avarice, Su- 
perstition, Despair, Love, with the like cares and 
passions that infest Human Life." 

I here fetched a deep sigh. "Alas," said I, "man 
was made in vain ! How is he given away to misery 
and mortality ! — tortured in life, and swallowed up 
in death !" 

The genius, being moved in compassion toward me, 
bade me quit so uncomfortable a prospect. "Look 
no more," said he, "on man in the first stage of his 
existence, in his setting out for eternity, but cast 
thine eye on that thick mist into which the tide bears 
the several generations of mortals that fall into it." 

I directed my sight as I was ordered, and (whether 
or no the good genius strengthened it with any super- 
natural force, or dissipated part of the mist that 
was before too thick for the eye to penetrate) I saw 
the valley opening at the farther end, and spread- 
ing forth into an immense ocean, that had a huge 
rock of adamant running through the midst of it, 
and dividing it into two equal parts. The clouds 
still rested on one half of it, insomuch that I could 
discover nothing in it; but the other appeared to me 
a vast ocean planted with innumerable islands, that 
were covered with fruits and flowers, and interwoven 
with a thousand little shining seas that ran among 
them. I could see persons dressed in glorious hab- 
its, with garlands upon their heads, passing among 



Redemption Completed. 195 

the trees, lying down by the sides of fountains; or 
resting on beds of flowers, and could hear a con- 
fused harmony of singing birds, falling waters, hu- 
man voices, and musical instruments. Gladness grew 
in me upon the discovery of so delightful a scene. 
I wished for the wings of an eagle, that I might fly 
away to those happy seats; but the genius told me 
there was no passage ta them except through the 
gates of death that I saw opening every moment upon 
the bridge. 

"The islands," said he, "that lie so fresh and green 
before thee, and with which the whole face of the 
ocean appears spotted as far as thou canst see, are 
more in number than the sands on the sea-shore; 
there are myriads of islands behind those which thou 
here discoverest, reaching farther than thine eye, or 
even thine imagination, can extend itself. These are 
the mansions of good men after death, who, accord- 
ing to the degree and kinds of virtue in which they 
excelled, are distributed among these several islands, 
which abound with pleasures of different kinds and 
degrees, suitable to the relishes and perfections of 
those who are settled in them. Every island is a 
paradise, accommodated to its respective inhabitants. 
Are not these, Mirza! habitations worth contend- 
ing for? Does life appear miserable, that gives the 
opportunities of earning such a reward? Is death 
to be feared, that will convey thee to so happy an 
existence? Think not man was made in vain, who 
has such an eternity reserved for him." 



196 Redemption Completed; 

I gazed with inexpressible pleasure on these happy 
islands. At length said I : "Show me now, I beseech 
thee, the secrets that lie hid under those dark clouds 
which cover the ocean on the other side of the rock 
of adamant." 

The genius making me no answer, I turned about 
to address myself to him a second time, but I found 
that he had left me. I then turned, again to the 
vision which I had been so long contemplating, but, 
instead of the rolling tide, the arched bridge, and 
the happy islands, I saw nothing but the long, hol- 
low valley of Bagdat, with oxen, sheep, and camels 
grazing upon the sides of it. 



DEC26IW3 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: August 2005 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



7*? 



